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LOS ANGELES, March 22 (Xinhua) — A newly discovered asteroid named 2023 DZ2 will pass close to Earth on Saturday, more than 100,000 miles (160,000 km) away, according to NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. .
The asteroid, which is about 55 meters across, is currently moving at 36.84 kilometers per second, according to NASA’s real-time tracking instrument.
In this context, NASA said that although this type of close approach is common, the approach of one asteroid of this size only occurs once every decade. Thus, it is a unique opportunity for science.
She added, stressing that astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network will monitor the close approach to learn more about planetary defence.