Srinagar, April 16 -- NASA has issued an alert about a massive asteroid, 2011 VG9, roughly the size of the Qutub Minar, that is set to make a close flyby of Earth today. Measuring approximately 390 feet (119 meters) wide, the asteroid will pass by at a staggering speed of 85,520 km/h at 5:54 PM IST (12:24 UTC) on April 16.

Although the space rock will safely miss Earth with a closest approach of 4.6 million kilometers, its size and velocity are raising eyebrows among astronomers and space agencies.

Classified as an Apollo asteroid, 2011 VG9 belongs to a group of near-Earth objects (NEOs) known for their Earth-crossing orbits. These asteroids are under continuous observation due to their potential to approach dangerously close to our pla...