What makes an asteroid 'potentially hazardous' according to NASA?

NASA defines potentially hazardous asteroids based on specific parameters that measure their potential to make threatening close approaches to Earth. Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.05 astronomical units (AU) or less are categorized as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). An astronomical unit equals approximately 150 million kilometers, roughly the distance from Earth to the Sun. The asteroid discussed in the clip, asteroid 2020nd, is approaching within just 0.034 AU of our planet, placing it well within NASA's hazard threshold. This classification system helps scientists monitor celestial objects that could potentially pose a threat to Earth.