A skyscraper-sized asteroid will pass Earth and be even closer than the Moon on Saturday, March 25.
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The asteroid, known as 2023 DZ2, will pass close to our planet at 28,044 km/h according to the specialized site EarthSky.
Astronomy enthusiasts located in the northern hemisphere will even be able to observe it if they have a telescope of more than 15 centimeters.
The European “virtual telescope” project will also make it possible to observe the bolide live on the Internet by clicking on this link.
The object should be visible around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Near-Earth Asteroid 2023 DZ2 very close encounter: online observation – 25 Mar. 2023
The asteroid will look like a slowly moving star.
This asteroid was first discovered by astronomers at the La Palma Observatory in the Canary Islands last February.
According to scientists’ estimates, its diameter would be between 44 and 99 meters.
Although the precise origin of 2023 DZ2 is unknown, most near-Earth asteroids originate from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
If 2023 DZ2 were to crash into Earth, it could potentially cause major damage.
The Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 was probably about 18 meters long and damaged 7,000 buildings, injuring more than 1,400 people (mostly from shards of glass).
It is estimated that this asteroid is at least three times larger.
Fortunately, the asteroid will remain about 173,000 kilometers from Earth, according to the Virtual Telescope Project.