This distance is nearly 70,000 kilometers closer than the Moon’s average distance from Earth.

According to the European Space Agency, the asteroid, which measures between 120 and 260 meters in diameter, was detected on June 16 through observations made at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town less than two weeks before its approach.

NASA researchers have indicated that asteroid 2024 MK previously passed by Earth a decade ago, at a distance five times greater, and went undetected by astronomers at the time.

Classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO), the asteroid does not pose a threat to Earth. However, its late detection highlights the necessity for improved methods to identify asteroids that could potentially collide with our planet.

There are tens of thousands of known NEOs, discovered, cataloged, and tracked by specialized observational projects such as NEOWISE and Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System).

Among these objects, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids are of particular concern. These are asteroids that come within 0.05 astronomical units (19.5 lunar distances) and are large enough, with diameters greater than 140 meters, that their impact could cause significant regional damage.

Asteroid 2024 MK is the latest large object to pass near Earth this year. Earlier in the year, Bennu and Apophis made close approaches, and just last Thursday, asteroid 2011 UL21, measuring between 1.7 and 3.9 kilometers in diameter and traveling at 25.9 km/s, came within 6.6 million kilometers of Earth.