The giant asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will fly past Earth on June 27 and may be observed by astronomers with small telescopes or large binoculars, according to the announcement of the European Space Agency (ESA).
This asteroid will approach Earth closest at a distance of 2.56 million km at 11:14 GMT (ie 18:14 Vietnam time) on June 27. The distance between Earth and this asteroid is still more than 6 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
The asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 is expected to travel at a speed of nearly 9 km per second.
ESA affirms that this celestial body does not pose any threat to Earth, because the possibility of this asteroid crashing into Earth has been completely ruled out.
Discovered in 1997, the asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 is estimated to have a width of 750m to 1.65km, based on calculations of the amount of sunlight that this asteroid reflects.
However, the ESA noted that some other estimates suggest that this celestial body may be smaller.
Times when an object of such size approaches Earth only happen every few years. However, this time strong light from the nearby Moon may make it difficult to observe the asteroid when it is closest to Earth" - Mr. Juan Luis Cano, of the ESA's Planet Defense Office, said.
For those using telescopes or binoculars, it can be observed in some areas of the Northern Hemisphere as the asteroid approaches Earth. Observation can also occur almost worldwide as the asteroid flies through Earth. However, astronomers can only observe from the Southern Hemisphere when (152637) 1997 NC1 leaves.
AFP noted that the ability to observe asteroids (152637) 1997 NC1 also depends on whether the observer is in an area with dark enough sky at the time the asteroid passes by.
