Free Republic

There’s no need to panic though as Asteroid 388945 (2008 TZ3) should pass us from a distance of about 3.5 million miles away. That may sound pretty far away but in the grand scheme of space this isn’t a large distance at all. That’s why Nasa has still flagged it as a “close approach”. If an asteroid comes within 4.65 million miles and is over a certain size, it’s considered “potentially hazardous” by cautious space agencies. Sunday’s asteroid fits this description. It should shoot past from its safe distance at a speed of just over 18,000 miles per hour. Nasa...

Thankfully, it will still be well over 3.5 million miles away, so there’s nothing to panic about. Experts believe the asteroid is somewhere between 240 and 535 yards wide. At the maximum possible length, that would make it bigger than the Empire State Building, the Shard and the Eiffel Tower. It would dwarf the Statue of Liberty too. The space rock — officially known as 388945 (2008 TZ3) — is expected to make its closest approach on Sunday, May 15. Last time it paid a visit was in May 2020. Back then it came even closer, at 1.7 million miles...