Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will whiz by Earth this week, making its closest approach Saturday morning.
The asteroid will be about 108,000 miles from Earth at its closest approach, according to NASA data. By comparison, the moon is about 240,000 miles from Earth.
The asteroid is estimated to be 200 feet wide, making it relatively large for a near-Earth object. It is roughly the size of a hockey rink. It will travel between the Earth and the moon at a speed of 4.5 miles per second.
The asteroid will make its next close encounter with Earth in 2026, at a distance of 642,000 miles, according to NASA.
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According to EarthSky, the asteroid’s close approach will give scientists a better estimation of its size and orbit.
As of now, there is little to fear of a potential impact. NASA lists a chance of the asteroid striking Earth in 2026 at 1 in 260 million, which is about the same odds as a single ticket winning the Mega Millions lottery jackpot.
