Massive 'city killer' asteroid to soar past Earth today
It's always reassuring when professionals use terms like 'city killer' to refer to objects flying around us in the terrifying vastness that is space.
It just really brings that sense of comfort; the feeling that everything is going to be fine and that we're not going to end up finding out what happens at the end of Don't Look Up.
Alright, that's enough sarcasm for one Saturday morning - but I'm still exactly not over the moon with the way European Space Agency's planetary defence chief Richard Moissl described the massive asteroid flying over us this weekend.
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Thankfully, in spite of the words used to describe the flying object, we are safe from the asteroid, which is formally known as 2023 DZ2.
It's set to fly by at an usually close distance for such a huge asteroid, but thankfully will still be a good few hundred thousand kilometres away.
2023 DZ2 will pass within 515,000km of the moon before travelling on to pass by Earth a few hours later at about half the distance between the Earth and the moon.
Announcing the news on Twitter, NASA's Asteroid Watch wrote: "While close approaches are a regular occurrence, one by an asteroid of this size (140-310 ft) happens only about once per decade, providing a unique opportunity for science."
NASA added: "Astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network are using this close approach to learn as much as possible about 2023 DZ2 in a short time period."
Moissl has assured 'there is no chance of this 'city killer' striking Earth', but if it were just a bit closer it would be capable of doing some serious damage.
The asteroid is estimated to be between 40 and 90 metres in diameter, meaning it should be visible through binoculars and small telescopes.
It was discovered in February at the observatory of La Palma, in the Canary Islands, Spain, and Moissl said the close approach this weekend 'offers a great opportunity for observations'.
NASA has said the passing of the asteroid will provide an important opportunity for astronomers to learn more about asteroids in the event that such a flying object actually did have the potential to hit Earth.
When it comes to 2023 DZ2 though, for now at least, we're safe.
Astronomers have determined that the asteroid looks set to return towards the direction of our orbit in 2026, but they don't believe it will cause any threat then, either.
Emily Brown