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WASHINGTON D.C. (KXAN) — Scientists looking to observe asteroids will get a rare chance this weekend. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is reporting that a newly discovered Near-Earth Object will pass within just 100-thousand miles this weekend.
According to the office, the asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, measures between 140 feet and 310 feet in diameter. A fly-by of this size happens once every ten years.
The asteroid will pass between the Earth and the Moon’s orbit. It will be closest to Earth at 2:51 p.m. CST on March 25th.
The asteroid was first observed on January 14th, 2023. The best time to observe the asteroid will be early evening on March 24th by looking southeast.
The asteroid is considered an Apollo-class asteroid. This means its diameter is less than 10km in size. These asteroid’s orbits pass through Earth’s orbit but take longer to complete an orbit of the sun.
Because of the proximity this asteroid can get to Earth, NASA classifies it as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid.