A Kilometer Wide Asteroid Will Blast Past Earth This Weekend At An

This weekend will see the largest asteroid predicted to pass by our planet in 2021 make its closest approach. It comes just weeks after the passing of an asteroid nicknamed the ‘God Of Chaos’— and NASA’s telescopes will be checking it out. Classed as “potentially hazardous” by astronomers and moving spectacularly fast, the 0.6 mile/1 kilometer wide 2001 FO32 will be at its closest to Earth on March 21, 2021. It will pass within million miles/2 million kilometers according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That might not sound too close, but that distance is close enough—in astronomical terms—for 2001 FO32 to be classed as “potentially hazardous.” Besides, its arrival in the vicinity of Earth is a very special occasion for astronomers. Despite it passing about five times further than the Moon is from Earth, 2001 FO32’s relatively close approach will make it bright enough for astronomers to study it in detail. While early March’s Asteroid Apophis streaked by Earth at 19 miles/30 km per second, 2001 FO32