Massive asteroid (887) “Alenda” has made its closest approach to Earth in decades and is poised to reach peak brightness in a rare and once-a-decade event.
According to the program, this weekend can be viewed using basic stargazing telescopes or via a free live stream. Live Science.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the near-Earth asteroid, designated (887) Alanda, is estimated to be 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide – about the width of Manhattan.
A massive space rock made its closest approach to Earth in decades on Wednesday, coming within 7.6 million miles (12.3 million km) of our planet, about 32 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. is
Notably, Alanda is not expected to come close to Earth until 2087.
Because of its large size, it serves as an interesting target for stargazers, although an asteroid of this magnitude could cause a mass extinction event if it were to hit Earth.
Alanda will reach its peak brightness on Sunday with a magnitude of 9.4. During this time, the asteroid will be seen passing through the constellation Gemini.