Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will zip between Earth and the moon's orbit on March 25.
The month of March was a busy one for space exploration. From NASA's Curiosity Rover observing the first 'Sun Rays' on Mars to the launch of the sixth joint NASA-SpaceX crewed mission to the International Space Station, the month was jam-packed with space news. Another incident will be added to the list of all space development incidents, with the passage of a massive asteroid close to the Earth.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a newly discovered asteroid named 2023 DZ2 will safely pass by Earth on Saturday at a distance of 100K+ miles away. While close approaches are a regular occurrence, one by an asteroid of this size (140-310 ft) happens only about once per decade, providing a unique opportunity for science.
The Asteroid Watch Team of the US-based space agency tweeted, "Astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network are using this close approach to learn as much as possible about 2023 DZ2 in a short time period-good practice for planetary defence in the future if a potential asteroid threat were ever discovered."
Fortunately, the asteroid will remain about 175,000 kilometres away from Earth.
The asteroid was first discovered by astronomers at the La Palma Observatory in the Canary Islands in February 2023 and is estimated to be between 144 and 325 feet (44 and 99 metres) in diameter.
According to Live Science, if the 2023 DZ2 collides with Earth, it could cause significant damage. The Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 was likely about 59 feet (18 m) long and damaged 7,000 buildings, injuring more than 1,400 people (mostly due to flying glass). The new visitor is estimated to be at least three times larger.