A SCHOOLBUS-SIZED asteroid will make a very close approach today, according to space object trackers.
Astronomers only spotted the near-Earth space rock 2022 GN1 a few days ahead of its head-turning flyby on Tuesday evening.
Nasa has logged the 16-meter-long mass on its “close approach” online database, though it poses no danger to our planet.
The asteroid is expected to soar past at a safe distance of around 79,000 miles (127,000 km).
That may sound like a considerable gap but is remarkably close in space terms at around a third of the space between Earth and the Moon.
The Virtual Telescope Project, a set of robotic scopes in Italy, has announced that it will live stream Wednesday’s flyby on its website.
The live feed kicks off at 9pm ET on Tuesday.
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Another close call
As of Tuesday morning, only one other asteroid will come as close to earth as 2022 GN1 in the next two months — the rest of the space rocks will be further away than the moon, according to Nasa.
The other asteroid cutting it close is named 2022 GQ1.
2022 GQ1 is expected to fly past Earth just after 7am on Thursday, April 7.
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When is the livestream?
The asteroid’s encounter with Earth will be recorded on video via telescope by astronomer Gianluca Masi.
The video will be livestreamed on the Virtual Telescope Project’s WebTV page, starting at 9:00pm ET on Tuesday.
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What is the Main Asteroid Belt?
The bulk of known asteroids orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt, with relatively short orbits.
There are between 1.1 and 1.9million asteroids bigger than one kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter in the belt, as well as millions of smaller ones.
The gravity of freshly created Jupiter stopped the development of planetary bodies in this region early in the solar system’s existence, causing the tiny things to smash with one another, fragmenting them into the asteroids we see today.
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When will the asteroid fly by?
According to Nasa’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, asteroid 2022 GN1 will make its close pass around 11:02pm ET on Tuesday.
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What is considered a ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid?
Any space object that comes within 4.65 million miles of us is considered “potentially hazardous” by cautious space organizations.
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NEOs tracked
The asteroid has been added to Nasa’s list of upcoming “Close Approaches” even though it poses no danger to our planet.
Thousands of near-Earth objects (NEOs) are tracked to provide an early warning if they somehow shift onto a collision course with our planet.
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Close in space terms
Although the asteroid is expected to pass Earth at a safe distance of around 79,000 miles, according to data on Nasa’s Near-Earth Object database, that’s actually extremely close.
The distance may sound like a considerable gap but is remarkably close in space terms at around a third of the space between Earth and the Moon
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How big is the asteroid?
The asteroid is estimated to be between 23.5 and 52 feet in diameter.
That’s approximately the size of a house.
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How fast is the asteroid?
The asteroid 2022 GN1 will hurtle past on Tuesday night at a staggering 34,500 miles per hour, according to Nasa trackers.
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How far away will the asteroid be?
The asteroid will fly by at a safe distance of around 79,000 miles, according to data on Nasa’s Near-Earth Object database.
