Christmas asteroid’ to light up Earth’s skies this week

On the eve of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, NASA scientists have confirmed that an asteroid will streak across the skies this week and will be visible.

(Excélsior).- It is the asteroid 2015 RN35, whose size could be like that of the Great Pyramid of Giza, that is, about 140 meters wide, however, there is no cause for alarm, because this celestial body will pass safely near the Earth this Thursday, December 15.

The object, which poses no threat to the planet, will approach 680,000 km when it makes its closest approach to Earth.

The celestial body, which the European Space Agency (ESA) baptized as “Christmas Asteroid” will be observed in both hemispheres, on December 15 in the southern hemisphere, and until December 19 in the northern hemisphere.

The asteroid has a visual magnitude of about 14, similar to that of Pluto, so it should only be visible with telescopes of 30 centimeters or larger.

Its size is smaller than the Statue of Liberty, making it quite small on an astronomical scale.

If you miss the Christmas asteroid during its Earth flyby on December 27, asteroid 2010 XC15 will pass by and will have similar visibility to this one.

TYT Newsroom