Rare asteroid wider than Manhattan will make a close approach to Earth
Don’t space out or you’ll miss it.
A once-in-a-generation asteroid broader than the width of Manhattan will be passing by the Earth — and there’s a chance you can see it for yourself.
The space rock 877 Alinda, one of the five largest expected to safely but closely zoom past our planet this century, flew by about 7.6 million miles away on Wednesday. It will linger around for the next week or so.
Alinda, a once-in-a-generation asteroid wider than Manhattan, will be visible from Earth for the next few days. Eyes on Asteroids/NASA / SWNS
However, according to Forbes, Sunday is the optimal day to see the two-and-a-half-mile-wide near-Earth asteroid discovered in 1918.
Still, you will need some help from a “modest” pair of binoculars as its projected 9.4 magnitude for Sunday isn’t bright enough for the naked eye, Virtual Telescope Project astronomer Gianluca Masi wrote.
A massive near-Earth asteroid will be visible in the coming few days. Eyes on Asteroids/NASA / SWNS
For the next nine days, amateur stargazers can also use binoculars to catch a glimpse of Alinda.
The best type for stargazing is 10×50 optics, he noted.
For New York, the best time to look on Sunday is after 6 p.m. and about 22 degrees over the eastern horizon and toward the constellation Gemini, according to In The Sky.
Understandably, If you would prefer to stay indoors during the cold snap, there is a solution for that as well.
The Virtual Telescope Project will hold a live stream of Alinda on Sunday, beginning at 12:30 EST.
Alinda will be comparatively close to Earth again in 2087.
However, if you pass up your chance to see the asteroid this time, it is not all that world-shattering.
“A similar event happens on average once a decade,” Masi added.
