Update at 3:45 pm ET: The Virtual Telescope Project’s webcast of asteroid 2023 BU is now scheduled 4:15 pm EST (2115 GMT) because of the clouds
A newly discovered asteroid will be closest to Earth this week.
Asteroid 2023 BU measures between 12 and 28 feet wide (3.8 to 8.5 meters), and was just discovered on Saturday (Jan. 21) by astronomer Gennadiy Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea. When it passes by Earth next Thursday (Jan. 26) at 4:17 pm EST (2117 GMT), the space rock will come within less than 3% of the average distance from Earth to the Moon at an altitude of just 2,178 miles. (3,506 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.
For comparison, most geostationary satellites orbit at about 22,200 miles (35,800 km).
Most asteroids are not bright enough to be seen without a powerful telescope; Fortunately, asteroid 2023 BU can watch its closest encounter with our planet through the Virtual Telescope Project. Astronomer Gianluca Masi will be hosting a free livestream of the asteroid transit project’s website (Opens in a new tab) or * YouTube channel (Opens in a new tab) on Thursday (Jan. 26) beginning at 3:45 p.m. EST (2045 GMT) after a short delay on account of the clouds it was thrown into the Ceccano, keeping its position in Italy.
Related: Asteroids: Fun facts and information about these space rocks
The asteroid is now in the constellation Ursa Major. Due to its small size, the asteroid 2023 BU is quite dim at magnitude 19.15, but it can be seen through a powerful telescope powered by a circus.
Luckily for those of us who aren’t veteran asteroid watchers, the Project Virtual Telescope will stream the whole thing. “Asteroid 2023 BU will have a very close, but safe, encounter with us.” [within] less than 10,000 km from the center of the Earth, about 25% of the distance from geostationary satellites, writes Masi in the proposed website (Opens in a new tab).
Asteroid 2023 BU is known as an Apollo-type asteroid, which means its orbit crosses Earth’s, but most of its time is aimed well outside the path of our planet, according to . Center for Earth Object Studies (Opens in a new tab), which is based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. 2023 BU orbits the sun every 425 days and will not pass by our planet again until Dec. 6.
While the asteroid 2023 BU will pass close to Earth, it is not a potentially dangerous gene. Because of its small size, it would likely break up and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Hoping to see asteroid BU in 2023? Our guides on the best telescopes and best binoculars will help you get started with the right perspective. Also check out our guides on the best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses to get you started.
Editor’s Note: If you are interested in taking a photo of asteroid 2023 BU and would like to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), your comment, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Brett on Twitter at @brettingley (Opens in a new tab). Follow us @Spacedotcom (Opens in a new tab)Or on- Facebook (Opens in a new tab) and Instagram (Opens in a new tab).
#Watch #asteroid #pass #Earth #today #free #webcast
