IIT Bombay students discover closest known asteroid to fly by Earth

IIT Bombay students Kunal Deshmukh and Kritti Sharma, working on a research project, discovered an SUV-sized asteroid soaring just 2950 km above the surface of Earth. The duo discovered the object using data from the robotic Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) in California. Designated 2020 QG, it is the closest known asteroid to fly by Earth without impacting the planet.