NASA warns of 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids headed toward Earth this week. Thankfully, they’ll all miss.

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2023

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Our solar system is home to millions of renegade space rocks, and this week three particularly large ones will blaze past Earth. But don’t worry – the closest one will still miss our planet by a comfy 2.2 million miles (3.5 million kilometers), or about 10 times the average distance between Earth and the moon, according to NASA.

On Monday (Feb. 27), an asteroid named 2012 DK31 will sail past our planet at a distance of about 3 million miles (4.8 million km). The asteroid measures an estimated 450 feet (137 meters) across, or about as wide as a 40-story skyscraper is tall, and its orbit around the sun crosses Earth’s orbit every few years.

Although the space rock poses no imminent threat to Earth, NASA classifies it as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) – meaning the rock is large enough and orbits close enough to Earth that it could cause serious damage if its trajectory changed and a collision occurred. Generally, any asteroid measuring greater than 450 feet wide and orbiting within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of Earth is considered a PHA. (NASA has mapped this asteroid’s trajectory for the next 200 years, and no collisions are predicted to occur).

Related: Could an asteroid destroy Earth?

On Tuesday (Feb. 28) a second skyscraper-sized PHA, also measuring roughly 450 feet across, will cross our planet’s orbit at a distance of about 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km). Known as 2006 BE55, this chunky space rock’s orbit crosses Earth’s orbit every four or five years.

Finally, on Friday (March 3), an asteroid measuring roughly 250 feet (76 m) across will fly by at a distance of 3.3 million miles (5.3 million km). The rock, named 2021 QW, isn’t quite wide enough to qualify as a PHA, but still makes a relatively close approach to Earth every few years.Related stories—How many satellites orbit Earth?

—What happened when the dinosaur-killing asteroid slammed into Earth?

—What are the largest impact craters on Earth?

Why do scientists pay such close attention to space rocks that will miss our planet by millions of miles? Because even slight changes to an asteroid’s trajectory – say, from being nudged by another asteroid or influenced by the gravity of a planet – could send nearby objects like these on a direct collision course with Earth.

Fortunately, NASA’s calculations show that no known asteroids are currently on a path to hit Earth any time for at least 100 years. Should a large asteroid one day pose a direct threat to our planet, astronomers are already working on methods to thwart it. That was the motivation behind NASA’s recent Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which intentionally smashed a rocket into an asteroid to alter its orbital speed. The mission did not destroy its target outright, but did prove that head-on rocket attacks are capable of changing a space rock’s orbital parameters in significant ways.

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Environment

Kia’s first electric hatchback is here and it has nearly 400 miles range: Meet the EV4 hatch

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2 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Kia's first electric hatchback is here and it has nearly 400 miles range: Meet the EV4 hatch

Who said hatchbacks are going out of style? Kia’s first electric hatchback, the EV4, went on sale in the UK on Monday, offering the longest driving range of any of its EVs to date. Here’s a full breakdown of prices and specs.

Meet the EV4, Kia’s first electric hatchback

After launching the sedan version in Korea in April, the EV4 already took the top spot as the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its second month on the market. It’s already being called a “box office hit.” Now, the new hatch variant is officially on sale.

Kia opened orders for the EV4 hatchback in the UK on Monday, starting from £34,695 ($47,700). The EV4 is Kia’s first crack at an electric hatchback.

With an impressive 388 miles of WLTP driving range, it’s also the longest driving range of any EV Kia has ever produced.

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The hatch is based on the same E-GMP platform as the EV4 sedan and Kia’s other electric vehicles, but it’s custom-tailored for European buyers.

The base EV4 “Air” is available with two battery packs: 58.2 kWh or 81.4 kWh, providing a WLTP driving range of up to 273 miles or 388 miles on a full charge. Kia said it’s the brand’s first electric vehicle offering a range of over 380 miles.

The sporty “GT-Line” and top-spec “GT-Line S” variants are available exclusively with the extended range (81.4 kWh) battery, which offers a range of 362 miles.

All EV4 hatchback models are powered by a single front motor with 201 bhp (150 kW) and 283 Nm of torque, good for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 7.5 secs.

Kia's-first-electric-hatchback — Kia EV4 hatchback (Source: Kia)

The interior features a similar setup to Kia’s latest EV models, like the EV3 and EV9, with its new connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) at the center. The setup features dual 12.3″ driver clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. An additional 5.3″ touchscreen for climate control is included for easy access to heating and ventilation functions.

Like the EV3, Kia’s electric hatchback will include an AI Assistant, powered by ChatGPT. It will also be the brand’s first vehicle with several entertainment settings, including “Rest mode” and Theatre mode.”

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatchback-interior — Kia EV4 hatchback interior (Source: Kia)

With all the seats upright, the electric hatch has a boot space of 435 liters, which Kia claims makes it “one of the most practical vehicles in its segment.”

With a length of 4,430 mm, a width of 1,860 mm, and a height of 1,485 mm, the EV4 hatchback is about the size of Kia’s XCreed.

The EV4 hatch can recharge from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes, while the larger battery will take approximately 31 minutes to charge using a 350 kW DC fast charger.

Kia EV4 hatchback trim	Starting Price	Driving Range (WLTP)
Air Standard Range	£34,695 ($47,700)	273 miles
Air Long Range	£37,695 ($51,700)	388 miles
GT-Line	£39,395 ($54,000)	362 miles
GT-Line S	£43,895 ($60,200)	362 miles

Kia EV4 hatchback prices and range in the UK

Kia opened orders for the new electric hatch on Monday, July 1. It will join the EV3, EV6, and EV9 in the brand’s European lineup. The EV4 hatchback will be built at Kia’s plant in Slovakia to expedite deliveries, which are scheduled to begin in the Fall.

Kia also announced on Monday that a new EV4 Fastback variant will join the lineup, but didn’t offer any additional details. More info, including prices and specs, “will be revealed in due course.” Check back soon for the latest.

What do you think of Kia’s first electric hatchback? Would you buy one in the US? Unfortunately, it’s not likely to make the trip overseas, but we will see the sedan version launch at some point in early 2026. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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