A large asteroid will pass harmlessly by Earth on Saturday and will be observable by astronomy enthusiasts with a small telescope or large binoculars. This was announced by the European Space Agency. The asteroid will come as close as 2,560,000 kilometers to our planet at 1.14pm CET on Saturday – a distance more than six times that between the Earth and the Moon.
No threat to the planet
Named (152637) 1997 NC1, the asteroid will travel at nearly nine kilometers per second and poses no danger to Earth, as any possibility of impact has been ruled out. Discovered in 1997, it is estimated to be between 750 and 1,650 meters in diameter, according to calculations based on the amount of sunlight it reflects. Other estimates, however, suggest it could be smaller, ESA said in a statement.
How and where to observe it
“A close approach to Earth by an object of this size occurs only every few years, although this time the Moon, bright and close, could hinder its observability at closest approach,” said Juan Luis Cano, of ESA’s Planetary Defense Office. For enthusiasts with telescopes or binoculars, the asteroid will be visible in parts of the Northern Hemisphere on approach, almost everywhere as it hurtles by Earth, and only from the Southern Hemisphere as it recedes. It all depends, however, on being in areas of the world where the sky is sufficiently dark at the time of passage.