A newly discovered asteroid, big enough to destroy a city if it struck here, will whiz between the orbits of Earth and the moon on Saturday, informs the US space agency Nasa.
Scientists estimate that the asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, is between 40 and 90 meters in diameter, which is designated as unusually large. Asteroids passing close to Earth are not unusual per se, but flybys of asteroids of this size occur about once every ten years.
According to Nasa, the asteroid whizzes past 515,000 kilometers from the moon on Saturday at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour and it will pass Earth a few hours later. There is still no risk of the asteroid colliding with Earth.
When it moves between the Earth and the Moon, it is at a distance that is estimated to be around 68,000 kilometers, the newspaper writes the Guardian. This means that it is possible to see the asteroid with binoculars or a telescope. The event is a unique opportunity for space scientists to study the celestial body at unusually close range, and expand their knowledge of preparedness for potential asteroid threats in the future, Nasa writes.
