A NEWLY discovered asteroid, more than 200 feet wide, will pass between the Earth and the moon over the weekend, an event Nasa said occurs only once in a decade.
While asteroids often fly close to the Earth, Nasa said it’s rare for one so big to come so close to the planet.
The asteroid, 2023 DZ2, was discovered by astronomers in February at the observatory of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain, according to EarthSky, a publication reporting on cosmos events.
According to EarthSky, the asteroid will be closest to the earth at around 12:51am (PST) early on Monday.
Earlier, astronomers calculated that there was a 1-in-38-million chance for the 2023 DZ2 to hit Earth on March 27, 2026, according to EarthSky.
Later calculations showed less risk and on March 21 the asteroid was removed from the Sentry Risk Table, which monitors asteroids for possible impact with Earth.
In a tweet earlier this week, Nasa Asteroid Watch said the asteroid pose no harm to the planet and astronomers will use this event “to learn as much as possible about 2023 DZ2 in a short time period”
“[This will be a] good practice for #PlanetaryDefense in the future if a potential asteroid threat were ever discovered,” the tweet added.The relative closeness of the object, travelling at a speed of 17,403 miles per hour, will enable observers to see it with the help of six-inch and larger diameter telescopes.
Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2023
