Astronomy buffs and stargazers have some exciting event to look forward to this week. As reported by Daily Mail, a huge 460 feet-wide asteroid is going to come very close to our planet this week.
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This asteroid, which has been festively dubbed ‘Christmas asteroid,’ does not pose a risk to our planet but it will be so close to Earth that you could actually have a clear view of it.
Christmas asteroid
The asteroid would come within 680,000km of Earth, and it will be closest to us on Thursday. The official name of this asteroid is 2015 RN35. It is of interest to astronomers because it is not well known.
The best view of the asteroid will be for those who are in the southern hemisphere. But even stargazers in Europe can view the asteroid between now and 19 December.
The European Space Agency has in fact challenged space lovers to spot the asteroid and take photographs of it.
How to spot the Christmas asteroid
As per a statement by the agency on its website,
We don't call this a challenge for no reason. 2015 RN35 will not shine bright in the skies like the star of Bethlehem did millennia ago.
No. Smaller than the Statue of Liberty, this asteroid is pretty little on astronomical scales. And as flybys go, at just under two times the distance to the moon, it's not likely to make newspaper headlines.
As per the ESA, any telescope larger than 30cm should be able to view the asteroid. You can share your photos on social media using the hashtag #ESAChristmasAsteroid to participate in the challenge.
ESA has made available a free toolkit to help everyone spot the Christmas asteroid. You can find the guide on how to use the toolkit here.
Sources used:
European Space Agency: ‘Christmas challenge: find mystery asteroid’
Daily Mail: ‘Huge 460ft-wide 'Christmas asteroid' will skim past Earth this week, coming within 420,000 miles of our planet - here's how YOU can see it’
