HUGE ASTEROID NARROWLY MISSES EARTH

A huge asteroid narrowly missed Earth as it passed between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon.

The object was named 2023 DZ2 and was discovered a month ago. Back then, scientists predicted that it will pass within 175,000 kilometers of Earth after flying past the Moon.

According to reports, it’s rare for such a big asteroid to come so close to Earth and astronomers has described it as a once-in-a-decade event. The asteroid has been estimated to be between 40m and 90m in diameter.

Because it was in such close proximity to Earth, it was possible to see the asteroid through binoculars and small telescopes.

The Virtual Telescope Project provided a live web broadcast of the asteroid’s approach.

It’s believed the asteroid is set to return towards our planet’s orbit in 2026, but scientists were quick to rule out that it could be a threat to Earth then as well.

Nasa said it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object was discovered with the potential to hit Earth.

Asteroids regularly pass Earth’s orbit. At the beginning of March, an asteroid that’s almost the same size, was briefly given a very rare chance of hitting Earth on Valentine’s Day in 2046. That chance is a one-in-432.

Image credit: Newsweek