Skyscraper-size asteroid will buzz Earth, safely passing within 2.7 million kilometres

Name: AstroForge's plan to mine near-Earth asteroids
Uploaded: 2023-10-20T05:00:00+13:00
Duration: 113 s
Description: Andrew Sather, principal at Initialized Capital, on why he invested in AstroForge, a US asteroid-mining startup that will use propulsion systems supplied by Christchurch's Dawn Aerospace. Video / AstroForge

1 Feb, 2024 11:00 PMQuick Read

Andrew Sather, principal at Initialized Capital, on why he invested in AstroForge, a US asteroid-mining startup that will use propulsion systems supplied by Christchurch's Dawn Aerospace. Video / AstroForge

An asteroid as big as a skyscraper will pass within 2.7 million kilometres of Earth on Friday (US time).

Don’t worry: There’s no chance of it hitting us since it will pass seven times the distance from Earth to the moon.

NASA’s Centre for Near Earth Object Studies estimates the space rock is between 210 metres and 480 metres across. That means the asteroid could be similar in size to New York City’s Empire State Building or Chicago’s Willis Tower.

Discovered in 2008, the asteroid is designated as 2008 OS7. It won’t be back our way again until 2032, but it will be a much more distant encounter, staying 72 million kilometres away.

The harmless flyby is one of several encounters this week.

Three much smaller asteroids will also harmlessly buzz Earth on Friday, no more than tens of metres across, with another two on Saturday (US time). On Sunday, an asteroid roughly half the size of 2008 0S7 will swing by, staying 7.3 million kilometres away.