Topline A football stadium-size asteroid will zoom by Earth on Friday morning, and because of its size and how close to the planet it’s coming, NASA scientists are monitoring it for any potential danger. Asteroid In Outer Space With Universe Background Key Facts An 880-foot asteroid is expected to pass by Earth on Friday, coming within 4 million miles of the planet—about 17 times further than the moon— according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The stadium-size asteroid is dubbed 2011 AM24, which orbits the Earth every 467 days but typically does not pass this close; it will make its next close approach on Sept.
21, 2038, though it’ll be from a much farther distance of about 17 million miles. NASA labels objects larger than 492 feet that come within 4.6 million miles of Earth “potentially hazardous objects,” so scientists monitor their potential danger even though they don’t expect 2011 AM24 to pose a threat.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . When Will The Asteroid Pass Earth? 2011 AM24 is expected to pass by Earth around 10:56 a.
m. EDT on Friday, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. How Can I See The Asteroid? Because of the distance, the asteroid may not be visible to the naked eye.
However, NASA offers a virtual asteroid tracker to watch where in the solar system asteroids ar.