Asteroid the size of 100 hot dogs to pass Earth on Monday - NASA

An asteroid the size of 100 hot dogs is set to slide past the Earth on Monday, July 10, according to NASA's asteroid tracker.

The asteroid in question was discovered several years ago and was designated 2018 NW, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

While this asteroid is set to skim past the Earth at a comparatively close distance, another far larger asteroid will pass by that same day, though from much farther away.

Be frank: How big is the asteroid coming towards Earth in 2023?

Asteroid 2018 NW is estimated by NASA to be around 16 meters in diameter.

For comparison, consider the hot dog. While the exact size of each hot dog differs, most estimates put it between 6 inches and 6.75 inches.

So on average, and converted to the metric system of between 15-17 centimeters for non-American readers, that means that asteroid 2018 NW is around the size of 100 hot dogs, pressed tip to tip in a row, and possibly with a serving of fries and onion rings.

Talk about a sausage fest: What other asteroids are coming toward Earth?

Asteroid 2018 NW isn't the only space rock passing by Earth on July 10. Here's another one, with its own unique fast food metric.

Asteroid 2023 LN1 is estimated to be around 100 meters in diameter, which is around the size of 328 Subway footlong sandwiches.

Playing catch-up, or ketchup: Is an asteroid going to hit the Earth in 2023?

Long story short, yes. An asteroid has already hit the Earth in 2023 and it is theoretically possible it could happen again.

This happened back in February when asteroid 2023 CX1, roughly the size of two Super Bowl trophies, impacted the Earth near Normandy, France. 

And it could theoretically happen again. But notice that asteroid 2023 CX1 didn't cause any damage. This also happened with several meteor impacts that happened this year, including a meteor that hit Israel. 

But there is no risk of any catastrophic asteroid impact anytime in the next century. 

Regardless, could asteroid 2018 NW hit the Earth? No, but it could be coming close, with NASA estimating it coming as much as 110,000 kilometers away from the Earth. For comparison, the Moon orbits the Earth at a distance of around 384,000 kilometers.

But at only 16 meters, asteroid 2018 NW likely won't do much damage, and would more likely burn up in the atmosphere – though it might be incredibly loud. 

Lettuce discuss: Do we have any way to stop an asteroid from hitting the Earth?

Thankfully, even if we did have reason to fear an asteroid impact, humanity has made progress in finding ways to defend the Earth should this happen, thanks to the scientists working in the field of planetary defense.

The most promising method so far was showcased in NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission, which managed to alter an asteroid's orbit by punching it.

So don't worry, you're more likely to be killed by 100 hot dogs than this asteroid – because eating 100 hot dogs at once is likely fatal.