Na big asteroid wey experts believe say e big like three CN Towers stacked on top each oda go pass Earth dis weekend, and e go visible from parts of Canada. According to Canadian Space Agency (CSA), di asteroid wey dem name 1997 NC1 go pass relatively close to Earth on June 27. But CSA say dis one no get any risk.
Di CSA explain say asteroids na small rocky or metallic bodies wey dey orbit di sun. Dem be like minor planet, wey mean say dem get plenty same elements wey make up many planets for solar system, but dem no be planet. Most asteroids dey for di asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and sizes fit vary from less dan 10 metres wide to di biggest wey dem ever detect, Vesta, wey ova 500 kilometres wide.
Large asteroids wey dey hit Earth na rare thing, di CSA tok. When e happen, dese cosmic events fit change planet landscape and even cause mass extinctions. According to NASA document wey dem update on Thursday, di pass-by of 1997 NC1 go be di closest since before year 1600, wey be di farthest back wey dem don compute e motion. NASA also say dem don mark 1997 NC1 as Potentially Hazardous Asteroid.
A spokesperson for Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of Toronto say di asteroid believed to be up to 1,650 metres across. For perspective, CN Tower about 550 metres high, so 1997 NC1 fit be as much as three times dat height measured across. But how close e go get to Earth? Di term close na relative here, astrophysicist Heidi White from University of Montreal Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets tok. If Earth shrink down to size of orange, di asteroid go still pass 20 metres away. White say dis type of event uncommon, dey happen about every five years.
NASA also say 1997 NC1 no go get dis close to Earth again until year 2133. White say di asteroid go visible from parts of Canada on June 27 when sky fully dark, but Canadians go need small telescope to see am. If Canadians want look for di asteroid for night sky, dem fit use dia telescope to find Ophiuchus constellation, wey common during summer across southern Canada. Di asteroid dey within dat constellation. Through telescope, e go appear as very faint point of light slowly moving against background stars.
White say close pass-by events like dis one provide valuable scientific opportunities. Astronomers fit use dem to make detailed observations wey help determine asteroid size, shape, and composition, while also refining e orbit. In many ways, dese pass-by events be like free reconnaissance mission, wey allow us study dis lone traveler in much greater detail.
European Space Agency (ESA) also announce di close approach of asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1, wey go safely pass near Earth on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Di asteroid dem discover for 1997 and dem don monitor am by international space agencies ever since. E go pass between Earth and Moon, making am extremely safe pass by astronomical standards. ESA emphasize say no risk of impact. However, e exact dimensions remain under study because estimates depend on how much sunlight e surface reflect. Di asteroid no go visible to naked eye, but according to ESA, e go observable with small telescopes and, under favorable conditions, with high-powered binoculars. Di asteroid go visible during e approach from locations across Northern Hemisphere. At time of closest approach, observers for much of di world go fit track am, provided e nighttime and skies clear. As di asteroid begin move away from Earth, visibility go gradually shift to Southern Hemisphere.
Juan Luis Cano, aerospace engineer and planetary defense expert with ESA Planetary Defence Office, note say di Moon brightness, wey relatively high at dis time of month, fit make di asteroid more difficult to observe at di exact moment of closest approach. For ESA statement, Cano explain say an object of dis size wey pass dis close to Earth only dey happen every few years. As result, di event represent noteworthy astronomical opportunity for skywatchers, wey go fit observe am from home using relatively accessible equipment.
Di asteroid wey go pass Earth today na 1997 NC1, and e dey size 50 to 60 times wider dan Chelyabinsk meteor. Chelyabinsk meteor, wey explode over Russia for 2013, cause plenty injuries and damage. Dis asteroid dem discover by Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking system on Haleakala for Hawaii. E go pass at distance about 7 times farther dan di moon, so no danger. Di last time asteroid as big as dis one come dis close to Earth na for January 2022. Skywatchers with small telescopes fit watch di asteroid 1997 NC1 safely flyby Earth today.
