NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has issued a warning for an enormous asteroid named 2024 ON, which is expected to zoom past Earth on Tuesday evening. Measuring a staggering 950 feet in diameter, approximately the size of a football stadium, this celestial space rock has captured the attention of astronomers worldwide. The Virtual Telescope Project has been closely monitoring the "potentially hazardous" asteroid since September 9, when it was spotted hurtling through space at an astonishing speed of nearly 25,000 miles per hour.

Despite its intimidating size and velocity, 2024 ON is projected to pass by at a safe distance of about 621,000 miles from Earth. To put things into perspective, this is approximately 2.6 times further away than the average distance between the Earth and the moon. While there is no immediate danger, any deviation from its current trajectory could have severe consequences, warns NASA.

This colossal asteroid is not alone in its close encounters with Earth. In recent times, five asteroids have been observed passing relatively close to our planet. Ranging in size between that of a house to that of an airplane, these near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) have caused astronomers to remain vigilant. Just yesterday, one of these interstellar pebbles came within a distance of 326,000 miles from Earth, deemed by NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson as a "safe distance."

NEOs, as defined by NASA, are asteroids that measure larger than 460 feet across and have orbits that bring them within 4.6 million miles of Earth's orbit around the sun. Monitoring these celestial entities is crucial, as any significant deviation in their course could potentially pose a threat to our planet.

As for now, scientists will continue to monitor asteroid 2024 ON's trajectory thoughtfully. With advanced technology and telescopes, they aim to gather as much data as possible to better understand and predict the behavior of these immense space rocks.