Asteroid as big as the Empire State Building to pass close by Earth today
The asteroid will pass within 1.7 million miles or 2.7 million km of Earth. However, its close proximity is of the least concern
A massive asteroid the size of a skyscraper will pass close by Earth on Friday, February 2. The size of the harmless space rock is estimated to be between 690 and 1,575 feet (210 and 480 meters) across, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. This means that the asteroid could be similar in size to the Empire State Building in New York or Chicago’s Willis Tower.
Will the asteroid as big as a skyscraper hit Earth?
The asteroid will pass within 1.7 million miles or 2.7 million km of Earth. However, its close proximity is of the least concern. The US space agency said the asteroid is a harmless fly-by as it will pass almost seven times the distance from Earth to the moon, according to the Associated Press.
First discovered in 2008, the asteroid designated as 2008 OS7 won’t resurface until 2032, the outlet adds. However, then it will be a much more distant encounter, with the asteroid flying by Earth 45 million miles (72 million km) away. This space rock is one of the many asteroids that will grace the skies this week.
In addition to this, three other asteroids, though smaller in size, will harmlessly buzz past Earth on Friday. However, their distance from Earth will not be more than tens of yards (metres) across. The other two asteroids will fly past our planet on Saturday. Meanwhile, on Sunday, an asteroid approximately half the size of 2008 0S7 will sweep past Earth, staying 4.5 million miles (7.3 million km) away.
Last year in December, NASA launched the spacecraft OSIRIS-APEX to intercept the Apophis asteroid, also known as the God of Chaos. The space agency said that the 1,000-foot-wide asteroid will brush past Earth’s orbit, only 20,000 miles away from the surface in 2029. Its close proximity could even result in Apophis' visibility in the Nothern Hemisphere.
