An asteroid will get in a close distance to Earth on April 19. The asteroid is as big as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Inquirer reported that a large asteroid which is as big as the Rock of Gibraltar will hurdle past the Earth's atmosphere in a safe but uncomfortable close distance. The asteroid will be expected on April 19, though there will be no expected collision, it will draw a very close approach to Earth.
The asteroid is expected to go near to Earth at roughly 650 meters or 2,000 feet across. It will even come within a range of 1.8 million kilometers of the Earth which is five times less than the distance of the moon to Earth. After it looped around the sun, the asteroid will then pass closest to Earth.
According to Sky and Telescope, the large asteroid was named as the 2014 JO25, which was discovered since 2014 and can be seen with the use of 3-inch telescope. Astronomers from the Catalina Sky Survey or CSS located near Tucson, Arizona discovered the large asteroid.
The large asteroid has a size and trajectory which is twice as reflective when compared to the moon. On top of this, the PanSTARRS comet will come visibly as it draws in the closest distance to Earth of about 175 million km or 109 million miles.
To recall some large asteroids like the 2014 JO25 already passed the Earth this close. The Toutatis in the year 2004, came at its closest distance to Earth within five kilometers or 3.1 miles within a four lunar distance.
NASA mentioned that the April 19 flyby of the large asteroid is a great opportunity for astronomers for further studies and research. "Astronomers plan to observe it with the use of telescopes all over the world for them to learn everything from it in as much as possible," NASA said. NASA also confirmed that though the large asteroid and comet went on its closest distance to Earth, there's nothing to worry about for it will be very safe.
