ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Massive 'city killer' asteroid to soar past Earth today

Home> News

Updated 09:38 25 Mar 2023 GMTPublished 09:28 25 Mar 2023 GMT

Massive 'city killer' asteroid to soar past Earth today

The huge flying object is set to fly past both the moon and Earth

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

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.

Today's events won't be quite as dramatic as they were in Don't Look Up.
Netflix

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.

Advert

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."

Astronomers are using 2023 DZ2 to learn more about asteroids.
Twitter/@AsteroidWatch

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.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock

Topics: Science, Space, NASA

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.

Recommended reads

Chilling ‘Ghost Murmur’ device used for first time that can ‘find you if you have a heartbeat’Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Anadolu via Getty ImagesAirports forced to change X-ray machines after reality of what security could see revealedXMinute-by-minute timeline of what would happen in first moments of nuclear bombGetty StockGilgo Beach serial killer shares horrific details of how he killed victims in front of their relativesJames Carbone - Pool/Getty Images

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Anadolu via Getty Images
    6 hours ago

    Chilling ‘Ghost Murmur’ device used for first time that can ‘find you if you have a heartbeat’

    The technology was allegedly used to find a missing American airman

    News
  • Getty Stock
    7 hours ago

    Minute-by-minute timeline of what would happen in first moments of nuclear bomb

    Tensions surrounding nuclear weapons are perhaps at an all-time high

    News
  • James Carbone - Pool/Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Gilgo Beach serial killer shares horrific details of how he killed victims in front of their relatives

    He pled guilty to murdering eight women

    News
  • Instagram/@jasveen_s
    8 hours ago

    'Ketamine Queen' sentenced over Matthew Perry's death

    She was one of five people who pleaded guilty in connection with Perry's death

    News
  • 'Spectacular' new Artemis II images shut down Flat Earth theory for good
  • Artemis II crew capture something ‘unbelievable’ in 'spectacular' new image of Earth
  • Artemis II crew will get unique perspective of Earth that could alter their view on life forever
  • People make ‘insane’ realisation about photos of Earth NASA shared