Earth is waiting for a huge asteroid to pass close by
- Ben Morris
- Business Technology Editor
image copyright GIANLUCA MASI, THE VIRTUAL TELESCOPE PROJECT
It is expected that the asteroid will be seen during its approach to Earth with magnifying glasses and small telescopes
An asteroid large enough to destroy an entire city is expected to pass between the Earth and the Moon sometime during Saturday and Sunday, but fortunately, scientists believe that it will not collide with the Earth or the Moon.
Scientists did not discover this asteroid, which was called 2023 DZ2, until about a month ago.
It is likely that it may pass the moon at a distance of just over half a million kilometers, before passing through the Earth hours later.
It is rare for an asteroid of this huge size, estimated to be 40 to 90 meters in diameter, to pass between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon.
And the US Space Science Agency (NASA) believes that this is an important opportunity that may enable space scientists to increase their knowledge of asteroids, as it represents the discovery of a dangerous body that may collide with the Earth.
“It is not likely that the asteroid, which is usually called the ‘cities killer’, will hit Earth, but its approach to it provides us with a great opportunity to observe,” said Richard Moesel, head of the Planetary Defenses Department at the European Space Agency.
And since it may pass Earth only 68,000 km away, it will be possible to see it with magnifying glasses and small telescopes all over the world.
It is expected that this huge body will not return to Earth’s orbit before 2026, but scientists rule out that this would pose any danger to the planet during that time as well.