Asteroid Close Shave
Earth is about to have a close encounter with a house-sized asteroid on Sunday (Sept. 7), when a space rock discovered just days ago will zoom by our planet at a range closer than some satellites. But NASA says the asteroid won't hit Earth.
The asteroid 2014 RC will safely buzz Earth at 2:18 p.m. EDT (1818 GMT) on Sunday. At that time, the asteroid will pass over New Zealand and fly just inside the orbits of the geosynchronous communications and weather satellites orbiting Earth about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the planet's surface, according to a NASA statement.
During its close pass, 2014 RC will be about 21,126 miles (34,000 km) from Earth's surface. That's about 10 times closer to the Earth than the moon.
The asteroid will be very dim when it passes by Earth. Observers on the ground won't be able to catch sight of it with the naked eye, but, weather permitting, intrepid amateur astronomers should be able to catch a glimpse of the fast-moving space rock through telescopes.
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