You can watch a large asteroid make a safe flight to Earth today (March 13) from anywhere with good internet access.
Weather permitting, the Virtual Telescope Project will broadcast live telescope views of the recently found asteroid 2022 ES3, which will pass our planet slightly within the orbit of the Moon. Broadcast starts at 2:30 PM EST (1830 GMT) And you can watch it in the video feed above or directly from the Virtual Telescope Project.
Asteroid 2022 ES3 is up to 40 feet (12 meters) wide — roughly the size of a bus — and will pass within 207,000 miles (330,000 km) of Earth today, according to NASA. The asteroid was discovered by Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona on March 7, and as with near-Earth asteroid discoveries, published orbit and other details about the asteroid’s motion and size. Online.
Project founder Gianluca Massi wrote in the site statement. He lives in Secano, near Rome, Italy.
Belong to: The greatest asteroid missions of all time!
The asteroid is not considered “potentially dangerous”, according to Newsweek, possibly because of its size. According to NASA JPL’s Small Object Database, the asteroid is 30 to 40 feet (10 to 22 meters) in diameter.
Massey says the closest asteroid will approach Earth at a safe distance of about 87% of the average distance from Earth to the Moon. The Moon is typically about 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth.
NASA monitors asteroids through partner telescopes and space observations, in coordination through the Planetary Defense Coordination Office. While the agency did not find any imminent problems, it is testing asteroid defense techniques to be proactive.
An example is the 1,210 lb (550 kg) Arrow spacecraft, which will collide with a small asteroid called Demorphos in September or October. The goal is to change the orbit of this asteroid around its larger companion, Didymus.
If you’re looking for a telescope or asteroid-monitoring telescope like this one, check out our guide for the best telescope deals and the best telescope deals available right now. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you choose the best photographic equipment.
revision: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect date for the 2022 ES3 flight. It’s March 13th.
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