A newly discovered massive asteroid in a heliocentric orbit will pass between the Earth and the Moon on weekend. The asteroid was first observed on Jan. 14, discovered by astronomers in the Canary Islands in Spain. It is estimated to be between 40 and 90 meters in diameter but even being a potential ‘city killer’ will not be dangerous for us. According to Nasa,instead it’s an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, a once in a decade opportunity. On Saturday evening, the asteroid 2023 DZ2 will fly by at a distance of 105,633 miles (170,000 kilometers). It will be visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe.
The asteroid will be moving past Earth at a speed of 17,403 miles per hour. “What’s unusual about this object is that this is rather rare, that an object of this size passes so close to Earth. That happens about once every 10 years,” Richard Moissl, ESA head of the Planetary Defence declared to media. There are currently more than 1,450 near-Earth objects on the “risk list.”
