Asteroid To Make Close Pass By Earth Next Week
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scientists say an asteroid at least 500 feet long will make a rare close pass by Earth next week, but there is no chance of an impact.
The object, known as 2007 TU24, is expected to whiz by Earth on Tuesday with its closest approach at 334,000 miles, or about 1.4 times the distance of Earth to the moon.
The asteroid is estimated to be between 500 feet and 2,000 feet long. The next time an asteroid this size will fly this close to Earth will be in 2027.
An actual collision of a similar-sized object with Earth occurs on average every 37,000 years.
Scientists say the nighttime encounter should be bright enough for medium-sized telescopes to get a glimpse.
