A Giant Space Rock's Close Shave with Earth: What You Need to Know

A massive asteroid, about the size of a skyscraper, is set to pass by Earth this week. Don't worry, it's not going to hit us. Scientists initially thought it might be a problem in the future, but now they're sure it's safe.

The Asteroid's Size and Distance

This space rock, named 2025 FA22, is quite large. It's between 427 and 951 feet wide. That's big enough to cause serious damage if it ever hit Earth. But the good news is, it won't. The closest it will get is about 520,000 miles away. That's more than twice the distance between Earth and the moon.

Discovery and Initial Concerns

Astronomers discovered this asteroid in March using a telescope in Hawaii. At first, they thought it might hit Earth in 2089. That's why it was added to the European Space Agency's risk list. But after more observations, scientists realized it was no threat. They removed it from the list in May.

Watching the Asteroid Fly By

You can watch this asteroid fly by if you have a good telescope or binoculars. A project called the Virtual Telescope will also livestream the event. The livestream starts at 11 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

Practicing Emergency Plans

Scientists are using this close pass as a practice run. They're pretending the asteroid might hit Earth in 2089 to test their emergency plans. This helps them prepare for any future threats.

Future Encounters

In reality, the asteroid won't come close again until 2173. Even then, it will still be far away. So, there's no need to worry. This is just a great chance to learn more about asteroids and how scientists keep us safe.