300-Foot Wide Asteroid Approaching Earth, Moon This Weekend; Rare Occurrence Only Happens Once in a Decade

A huge asteroid is approaching Earth and the moon over the weekend. However, there is nothing to worry about because it will make a safe flyby.

Massive Asteroid Will Fly in Between Earth and Moon

A newly discovered asteroid with over 200 feed wide will fly between Earth and the moon on Saturday. The rare occurrence only happens once per decade, USA Today reported.

The asteroid identified as 2023 DZ2 was discovered in February. The astronomers at the observatory of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain, were the first to notice it, according to EarthSky.

They continue to observe the space rock to understand its size and orbit better. NASA said that the huge asteroid has a diameter between 134 to 305.

The massive space rock will safely pass by our planet, but there is a slim chance of eventual impact in a few years.

2023 DZ2's closest approach to Earth will be at 108 758 miles, according to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies. For reference, the moon is 238,855 miles away from our planet. It will be moving at a speed of 17,403 miles per hour.

Its closest approach will be Saturday, March 25, at approximately 3:51 p.m. ET.

The American space agency is hopeful that 2023 DZ2 will give a unique opportunity for science since an asteroid of its size only makes a close approach to Earth once per decade. NASA added that astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network would observe the space rock's close approach in hopes of learning more about planetary defense.

Planetary defense involves examining potential asteroids or comets that might collide with Earth and prevent near-Earth objects from impacting us. In 2016, NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) to manage these planetary defense efforts. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is NASA's first spacecraft mission developed to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique.

2023 DZ2 Could Hit Earth in 2026

Our planet is safe from a collision this week. However, the outlet noted that the space rock would make another close approach in three years, and there's a 1-in-38 million chance that it will collide with Earth on March 27, 2026.

NASA previously announced that an asteroid like 2023 DZ2, which is larger than 82 feet but smaller than 3,820 feet in size, would likely cause local damage to the affected area.

Asteroids frequently come within a few miles of Earth and some of their lands here, though they often become bright fireballs that cause little damage. Small asteroids vaporize or burn up when they enter the Earth's atmosphere, creating a streak of light in the sky known as meteors.

NASA announced earlier this month that it had started monitoring 2023 DW, an asteroid with a diameter of about 160 feet that has an "extremely small possibility" of colliding with Earth on February 14, 2046, but is more likely to pass by a distance of more than 1.1 million miles.

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