Calling all amateur astronomers! Grab your best binoculars and scout out your favorite star-gazing spot, because next week, you’ll have the extremely rare opportunity to watch a very large asteroid make its way past Earth. At about a third of a mile in size, the asteroid 2004 BL86 is slated to come within approximately 745,000 miles of our planet next Monday, Jan. 26. That may sound like a huge distance, but it’s the closest a space rock will come to Earth until 2027 — and the closest 2004 BL86 will get for at least 200 years — offering scientists an exciting opportunity to get a good look at such a large asteroid without posing any threat to the planet. Its an opportunity for space enthusiasts as well, as the asteroid is predicted to be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, through little more than a small telescope or a quality pair of binoculars.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 02:15:05 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015