Asteroid 2001FO32 Is The Largest Asteroid To Flyby The Earth In 2021

Astronomers worldwide will be studying the heavens this weekend as the largest asteroid to fly by Earth during 2021 will make its closest pass on Sunday. Astronomers are eager to get a look at the asteroid as it's a remnant from the birth of our solar system. The asteroid, known as 2001FO32, is big and fast, and while in astronomical terms it comes quite close to the Earth, it is still going to pass us at a vast distance.

2001FO32 is classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid" and has been since its discovery in 2001. Distances on a cosmic scale are quite vast, and the asteroid will only come within 1.25 million miles of the Earth. To put that in perspective, to cover that many miles on our planet, you would have to circumnavigate the globe 50 times.

NASA's Paul Chodas says there is no chance the asteroid will come closer to the Earth than 1.25 million miles. At that vast distance, there is no worry about a collision with the planet. NASA says there's no need to worry about a significant potential for this particular asteroid to impact the Earth for centuries to come.

2001FO32 is between 1300 and 2230 feet wide. Interestingly, when the asteroid was discovered in 2001, scientists thought it was about 3000 feet wide. When the asteroid zips past Earth tomorrow, it will allow researchers to get better measurements. Astronomers also hope to bounce radar signals off the asteroid using dish antennas from the NASA Deep Space Network to better understand its size and rotation rate.

NASA also plans to attempt to discover surface features or if the asteroid has small satellites. The asteroid will be traveling at about 77,000 miles per hour when it passes the Earth, faster than most asteroids. While the asteroid will pass by the Earth at a vast distance, NASA is saying that amateur astronomers with the right equipment will be able to view it.