A massive asteroid nearly the size of a stadium will pass safely by Earth on May 9, and space enthusiasts can follow its journey in real time. The object, asteroid 612356 (2002 JX8), measures around 950 feet (290 metres) in diameter and is not a threat, as per NASA. The Virtual Telescope Project will broadcast the asteroid’s flyby on its YouTube channel starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT (20:30 GMT). The asteroid is expected to make its closest approach at 11:02 GMT. The stream will also feature asteroid Vesta, which remains visible after reaching opposition on May 2.
Asteroid 2002 JX8’s Safe Flyby Offers Stargazers a Rare Celestial Event
As per a recent post by Gianluca Masi, founder of The Virtual Telescope Project, it will come as close to Earth as a million kilometres (2.6 million miles) — 10.9 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. The project provides free online observing opportunities in which exciting celestial phenomena, for example, asteroids changing position against the background of stars, can be brought to the attention of the public.
NASA had previously labelled 2002 JX8 as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) due to its size and proximity during pass-bys, but has assured that there is no need for concern at this time. The PHA designation applies to any asteroid that’s bigger than 140 meters that zips by Earth at a relatively close distance, less than 0.05 AU or about 4.6 million miles.
Near Earth Object tracking also does not predict an impact of a similarly sized asteroid for at least another century. NASA estimates that an asteroid with a 140-meter diameter may strike Earth every 20,000 years and one with a 1,000-meter diameter every 700,000 years.
The event is a great chance for visitors to examine objects like planets or star clusters with telescopes or binoculars and refer to guides to view the night sky.
