Free Republic

A truck-sized asteroid will pass near Earth on Thursday (Jan 26) in one of the closest approaches to our planet ever recorded, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, emphasising that it poses no danger. Asteroid 2023 BU, which was recently discovered by an amateur astronomer, will zoom by the southern tip of South America at around 4.27pm PST (8.27am, Friday, Singapore time) on Thursday (Jan 26), according to NASA. It will pass just 3,600km from Earth's surface, much closer than many geostationary satellites orbiting the planet.

Asteroid 2023 BU imaged by the Virtual Telescope as it approached Earth in January 2023. (Image credit: Virtual Telescope Project) Wednesday, January 25, 2023: A newly discovered asteroid that will pass very close to Earth on Friday has been photographed by an Italian astronomer as it makes its approach. The space rock, called 2023 BU, is only about 13 to 30 feet (4 to 9 meters) wide, and was discovered last Saturday (Jan. 21) by prolific Crimea-based astronomer and telescope builder Gennadiy Borisov (the same man who discovered the first interstellar comet, which now bears his name, Borisov, in 2018)...