Skyscraper-sized asteroid to pass Earth, poses no threat
- The asteroid will be seven times more distant than the moon
- There's little risk that it will impact the planet
- Several smaller asteroids will also pass by Earth in coming days
This image provided by Virtual Telescope Project out of Italy shows a single 180-second exposure asteroid that was approaching Earth, about 4 million kilometers, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2024. Astronomers say an asteroid as big as a skyscraper will pass within 1.7 million miles of Earth on Friday. There’s no chance of it hitting us since it will pass seven times the distance from Earth to the moon. (Virtual Telescope Project via AP)
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(NewsNation) — An asteroid the size of a skyscraper will pass within 1.7 million miles of Earth on Friday, along with several smaller asteroids that will buzz the planet.
While the distance may be considered close in the vastness of space, there’s no need to worry. There’s no danger of the asteroid impacting the planet, and the distance is seven times that of the Earth and the moon.
NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies estimates the space rock is between 690 feet and 1,575 feet across. That means the asteroid could be similar in size to New York City’s Empire State Building or Chicago’s Willis Tower.
Known as 2008 0S7, the asteroid is close enough to be classified as potentially hazardous by NASA because of the closeness and size of the object, which could cause significant damage if it were to collide with our planet.
There are also several other asteroids expected to buzz Earth in the coming days, with three small asteroids set to pass by Friday as well and another two Saturday, none of them more than ten yards across.
Another asteroid roughly half the size of 2008 OS7 is expected to pass within 4.5 million miles of the Earth on Sunday.
The virtual telescope project will be broadcasting the asteroid’s flyby, which will not be visible with the naked eye or standard telescopes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
