agencies
Friday, March 24, 2023 01:22 PM
Astronomers reported that an asteroid Massive, three times the size of the one that blew out windows in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, it will pass near Earth, about half the distance to the moon, on Saturday, March 25, RT reports.
Fortunately, the asteroid known as 2023 DZ2 will pass our planet safely, at 17,426 mph (28,044 km/h), according to EarthSky.
Sky watchers with telescopes of 15 cm or larger will be able to see the space rock beginning Friday evening, March 24, from the northern hemisphere.
Currently, the space rock, dubbed 2023 DZ2, is 305 feet (93 meters) in diameter, while Big Ben is 315 feet (96 meters) tall.
2023 DZ2 will approach Earth at 19:51 GMT (15:51 EDT), at a distance of 107,500 miles (173,000 kilometers).
The asteroid will appear as a slow-moving star over the southeastern horizon, east of the constellations Orion, the Canis Major and the Canis Lesser, according to EarthSky.
The asteroid was first discovered by astronomers at the La Palma Observatory in the Canary Islands in February 2023, according to EarthSky. Since it crosses Earth’s orbit, the asteroid is known as an Apollo class.
Although the exact origin of 2023 DZ2 is unknown, most near-Earth asteroids are natives of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that were expelled from their typical orbits through interactions with Jupiter, according to the Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology.
And if 2023 DZ2 collides with Earth, it will likely cause severe damage, but fortunately, the asteroid will remain about 107,500 miles (173,000 kilometers) from Earth, according to the Virtual Telescope Project.
Considering what is known about 2023 DZ2’s orbit at the moment, there is a 1 in 430 chance that it will hit Earth on March 27, 2026. However, according to EarthSky, this slight possibility will likely disappear as astronomers learn more about the asteroid’s trajectory. The space rock orbits the sun every 3.17 years.
