Asteroid the size of 543 McDonald's French fries to pass Earth Friday - NASA

• Published date: 20 March 2024
• Author: AARON REICH
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

According to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the asteroid in question has been dubbed 2024 FK1

While it will fly closer than many other asteroids at just over 1 million kilometers away, it still poses no risk of even chipping the Earth.

Fry safely: How big is the asteroid coming towards Earth?

Asteroid 2024 FK1 is estimated by NASA to measure as much as 32 meters in diameter.

But that means nothing without something to compare it to. So, let's use a more relatable metric specifically requested by The Jerusalem Post's hardworking social media manager, Noemi Szakács: French fries.

Yes, you know them, and you love them. They are the most iconic of all side dishes, universally beloved by everyone all over the world (even if this humble reporter believes that onion rings are superior, but alas, we live in a cruel, French fry-dominated world).

Also known as chips for those not of US origins, French fries are (apparently) delicious, but how big are French fries? How could you measure an asteroid using such an inconsistent metric, varying from place to place, from order to order?

Well, we have the power of science – that is, some scientists seem to have already done the work for me.

McDonald's is often considered the gold standard for French fries, so that's the metric we'll be using. According to a mid-2000s study from the Research Science Institute, hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the average McDonald's French fry was 58.9 mm. long. However, this study does not appear to have been peer-reviewed, and the author was simply listed...