Giant 2,200-foot asteroid to whizz past Earth tomorrow
What's the story
A colossal 2,200-foot asteroid, termed 349507 (2008 QY), is set to make a close encounter with Earth tomorrow.
Most of the asteroids known to us dwell in the main asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
Some of these space rocks often venture within just a few hundred thousand kilometers of Earth, sparking worries about possible impacts.
Fortunately, there is no need to worry as the giant asteroid headed our way is expected to not cause any harm.
Asteroid
The asteroid will come as close as 6.32 million kilometers
Asteroid 2008 QY is predicted to cross Earth safely, at a distance of 6.32 million kilometers. The space rock will be hurtling at 20.96km/s when it makes its close encounter with the planet.
This bridge-sized object is part of the Apollo family of asteroids, which refers to asteroids that cross the orbit of Earth.
Asteroid 2008 QY made a close approach to Earth in August this year, per NASA, and is not bound to make a close call until 2028.
Details
Asteroid 2008 QY is classified as potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA)
NEOWISE, which launched in December 2009, helps monitor near-Earth objects from low-Earth orbit. The spacecraft orbits Earth once every 95 minutes, which is about 15 times per day.
Per NASA, a space rock is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) if it measures larger than 492 feet wide and comes within 7.4 million kilometers of Earth.
Asteroid 2008 QY is much bigger than this benchmark, measuring a whopping 2,200 feet across.