An asteroid will pass harmlessly past Earth this weekend. With the right equipment and timing, you might just be able to spot it.
The space rock, called 2024 MK, will make its closest approach to Earth on Saturday morning, at about three-quarters of the distance from Earth to the moon. First spotted two weeks ago by a South African observatory, it is about 393 feet to 853 feet (120 meters to 260 meters) wide.
Smaller objects are constantly streaking past Earth, according to asteroid expert Davide Farnocchia of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. Asteroids the size of the latter pass by about every 25 years.
“We'll see a few of them in our lifetime, but it's not something that happens every day,” he said.
On Thursday, a 2,310-meter asteroid flew safely past Earth, but it was farther away and only visible with professional telescopes.
ESA via AP
Skywatchers will need to grab a small telescope for Saturday, as the asteroid is not bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. And it is moving quickly across the southern sky, making it difficult to see.
“The asteroid will plow through that star field,” said Nick Moskovitz, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory.
Viewers in the Southern Hemisphere will have the best chance of seeing it, as the asteroid will appear higher overhead. Those in the U.S. may want to wait until Saturday night, when the asteroid may appear dimmer but will be easier to see without interference from the sun's blinding light.
If you miss it, mark your calendar for April 13, 2029, when an asteroid called Apophis will zoom past Earth, visible to the naked eye from parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
