Asteroid To Creep Past Earth

Telescopes at the ready; as on November the 8th an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly past earth, making it the closest pass by a space rock of this size for over 35 years. The asteroid, nicknamed 2005 YU55, will slowly creep by at just 9 degrees per hour. It will apparently come within 201,700 miles of earth (85% of the distance between the earth and the moon). The next time something as rare as this occurs will be in 2028!

The asteroid was first discovered in 2005 by astronomers. It measures 400 meters wide, and makes a single lap around the sun approximately every 15 months. It is the first time it has ever come close to earth. Fortunately for mankind, it’s not going to slam into the earth like a homing missile, leaving a huge crater in its path. Neither is it going to split the moon into billions of tiny pieces. No significant effect will be caused… apparently…

If you're interested in astronomy, and you have a decent telescope, you will possibly be able to see 2005 YU55. It will make its closest approach at 23:28 GMT. Happy asteroid spotting!