An asteroid will pass close to Earth this weekend, and with the right equipment and timing, it may be possible to spot it.
The space rock, called 2024 MK, will be at its closest to Earth on Saturday, when it passes three-quarters of the distance separating the planet from the Moon. It was first sighted two weeks ago by an observatory in South Africa and measures between 393 to 853 feet wide.
Smaller objects pass by Earth all the time, said Davide Farnocchia, an asteroid expert at NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. Asteroids this size pass by about every 25 years.
“We’re going to see a few of these in our lifetime, but not something that happens every day,” he said.
A 7,579-foot asteroid passed safely by the planet on Thursday, but it was farther away and could only be seen with professional telescopes.
On Saturday, onlookers will need a small telescope, as the rock is not bright enough to be detected with the naked eye. It will also be moving at high speed across the southern sky, making it difficult to see.
“The asteroid will pass through that star field,” said Nick Moskovitz, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory.
In the southern hemisphere there will be more chances of seeing it since it will appear at a higher altitude.
Those in the United States may have to wait until Saturday night, when it will appear less bright but more easily seen without interference from the Sun’s blinding light.
If you can’t see it this time, aim for April 13, 2029, when an asteroid called Apophis will pass by Earth and be visible to the naked eye from parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
){kind=link}