Asteroid the size of 89 wolverines to pass Earth on Monday, March 25 - NASA

An asteroid the size of around 89 wolverines is set to pass the Earth on Monday, according to NASA's asteroid tracker.

The asteroid in question, dubbed 2021 CF6 as noted by the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will be passing by during Shushan Purim, the date the Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem.

Note that the asteroid is not being measured in terms of the Marvel X-Man superhero, nor is it being measured in players for the University of Michigan football team.

I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is be an asteroid: How big is the asteroid set to pass the Earth in 2024?

Asteroid 2021 CF6 has a diameter estimated by NASA to be as much as 100 meters.

But let's put that in a more relatable metric: Wolverines. 

Now, you may think wolverines are just a made-up name given to Marvel's most famous mutant, the X-Man, with an indestructible adamantium skeleton and three sharp claws on each hand. But this iconic fuzzball, as well as a very popular college football team from the University of Michigan (go blue!), is named after a real-life animal.

Known also as "stink bears," wolverines are actually mustelids, which are related to weasels, otters, and badgers. They are primarily scavengers, but they are also known for being fierce fighters, having been recording taking down pray far larger than itself like deer, as well as fending off larger predators.

But they are very small, all things considered, growing to just 1.1176 meters long, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

With all that considered, asteroid 2021 CF6 is over 89 wolverines long.

Days of future's past asteroids: What other asteroids are coming before this one?

A few other asteroids are approaching 2021 CF6, which is convenient because it means this humble reporter can measure them in terms of other wolverines. 

Both of these asteroids are coming on Sunday, March 24. Here's what we have in store:

• Asteroid 2024 EC4 is as much as 44 meters in diameter. According to Marvel's official records, the comic book superhero Wolverine is 5-foot-3. This means 2024 EC4 is the size of around 27 comic book Wolverines.
• Asteroid 2019 CJ is as much as 47 meters in diameter. Based on the height of live-action Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman (1.9 meters), it is the size of around 24 live-action Wolverines.

Here it is in table format.

Asteroid-men: How can we protect the Earth from asteroids?

You don't need a college football team (go blue!) or a superhero to save the world from an asteroid impact anymore. Not when you have scientists working in planetary defense. 

The most promising defense method so far is kinetic deflection, as demonstrated by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission, which managed to alter the orbital path of a faraway asteroid.

Since asteroids are so dangerous, and since one already hit the Earth in 2024 (one impacted over Germany earlier in the year), having a way to stop them is very important.

So here's to a happy Shushan Purim, with no asteroids and plenty of Wolverine costumes.