Next week, a massive asteroid is expected to pass closer to Earth than the Moon, marking the largest space rock to do so in 35 years.
The circular asteroid, designated 2005 YU55, measures approximately 1,300ft in width and is predicted to fly by at a distance of 202,000 miles.
The closest approach is forecasted for 21:28 EDT on Tuesday, November 8.
This event will be the nearest encounter with an asteroid of such size since 1976, and another similar occurrence won’t happen until 2028.
However, for those eager to catch a glimpse of this colossal rock, a telescope will be necessary.
Scott Fisher from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Astronomical Sciences mentioned that the asteroid will appear “pretty faint during its fly-by.”
He remarked, “It’s not visible to the naked eye. You will require a telescope with a mirror that is at least six inches wide to observe it.”
“To further complicate viewing, it will traverse across the sky at a rapid pace as it approaches.”
The asteroid was initially identified in 2005 by Robert McMillan through the Spacewatch Project, a group of scientists based near Tucson, Arizona that scans the solar system.
It is classified among a group of 1,262 large asteroids exceeding 500ft in size that orbit the Sun, which NASA designates as “potentially hazardous.”
Nevertheless, there is no threat of it nearing Earth. The closest flyby anticipated based on current data will occur in 2094, when it will be 167,000 miles away.
