Mark your calendars!

An enormous asteroid, measuring about 365 meters in diameter — roughly the size of a football stadium — is set to make a close approach to Earth on Wednesday at precisely 12:27 a.m. ET. This colossal rock, dubbed 2020 XR, will sail past our planet at a distance of 2.2 million kilometers.

Observing the Asteroid

As reported by the European Space Agency (ESA), avid stargazers can catch a glimpse of 2020 XR even through a telescope as small as 20 centimeters. With a mind-blowing speed of approximately 44,260 kph, this asteroid is categorized as a "near-Earth object" (NEO) due to its size and the path it takes around the Sun. It falls under the Apollo-Class, which means its orbit crosses that of Earth.

Safety Concerns and Trajectory

NASA has identified any object larger than 150 meters that comes within 7,402,980 km of Earth as a "potentially hazardous object." However, there is no reason for alarm. According to Juan Luis Cano, a coordinator at ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Center, early concerns about the asteroid possibly colliding with Earth in 2028 have been allayed as scientists refined the asteroid's trajectory using historical data.

Future Encounters

Excitingly, 2020 XR is not done with us yet! This fascinating asteroid is expected to make another pass by our planet in approximately four years. However, its next close approach — estimated at a distance of 18.2 million kilometers — will not occur until the distant future, in the year 2196.

Prepare for the Event!

So, grab your telescope and prepare for an astronomical event unlike any other! This is your chance to witness the amazing phenomenon of a massive asteroid racing past our Earth. Keep looking to the skies and don’t miss out on this celestial encounter!