An asteroid nearly the size of the Gold Gate Bridge is expected to zoom past Earth later this month.
It will be the largest and fastest asteroid traveling through our space this year, but it will not be nearly close enough to cause major concern.
The asteroid – 2001 FO32 – is smaller than a year ago to make a close pass, but it will be three times closer and much faster, NASA said in a statement.
It measures about 1,300 to 2,230 feet wide and is expected to pass by Earth on March 21 – though 1.25 million miles away. The extraordinarily fast rock will move 77,000 mph (that is 21 miles per second).
It is actually close enough, is officially considered a ‘near the earth’ asteroid that scientists are expected to view a clump of rock that exists against the dawn of the universe.
“This is the closest forecast approach in 2021 for any moderately large asteroid, where ‘moderately large’ is at least a few hundred meters in size,” Paul Chodas, director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, told CBS News .
Space fans can get a glimpse of the zoom bee with a backyard telescope.
According to AardSky, observers using 8-inch or larger telescopes can detect the asteroid in front of the stars.
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