Key Points
An asteroid big enough to wipe out a city will zip harmlessly between Earth and the moons orbit this weekend, missing both celestial bodies..
Saturdays close encounter will offer astronomers the chance to study a space rock from just over 100,000 miles (168,000 kilometers) away.. Thats less than half the distance from here to the moon, making it visible through binoculars and small telescopes..
While asteroid flybys are common, NASA said its rare for one so big to come so close about once a decade..
Discovered a month ago, the asteroid known as 2023 DZ2 will pass within 320,000 miles (515,000 kilometers) of the moon on Saturday and, several hours later, buzz the Indian Ocean at about 17,500 mph (28,000 kph).There is no chance of this city killer striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations, the European Space Agencys planetary defense chief Richard Moissl said in a statement...
Astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network see it as good practice for planetary defense if and when a dangerous asteroid heads our way, according to NASA.The Virtual Telescope Project will provide a live webcast of the close approach..
