Massive Asteroid to Light Up the Sky This Weekend
This is the closest the asteroid has been in decades, and it won't approach this near again until 2087.
A gigantic asteroid named (887) Alinda, measuring approximately 2.6 miles wide—about the width of Manhattan—is making headlines as it becomes visible from Earth this weekend in a rare astronomical event.
The near-Earth asteroid, which recently made its closest approach to our planet in decades, offers a once-in-a-decade opportunity for observation.
Stargazers can catch a glimpse using basic binoculars or by tuning into a free livestream, according to Live Science.
As per NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Alinda came within 7.6 million miles (12.3 million kilometers) of Earth on Wednesday, a distance roughly 32 times the average gap between Earth and the Moon.
This is the closest the asteroid has been in decades, and it won’t approach this near again until 2087.
Alinda’s immense size makes it an intriguing subject for observation.
If an asteroid of this magnitude were to collide with Earth, it could potentially cause catastrophic damage. Fortunately, Alinda poses no such threat during this flyby.
The asteroid will reach its peak brightness on Sunday, with a magnitude of 9.4. During this time, it will be visible as it traverses the constellation Gemini, providing an exciting spectacle for astronomy enthusiasts around the world.