A massive asteroid will be visible from Earth this week, and you won’t need a telescope to see it, making it an exciting event for stargazers.
London: So, there’s this asteroid called Alinda, and it’s pretty big—like, bigger than Manhattan! But don’t freak out; it’s just passing by, and you can actually see it without a telescope.
Alinda is about 4.2 kilometers wide, which is around 2.6 miles. It’s going to zoom past us at a distance of 7.6 million miles. That sounds far, right? No need to panic; it’s not going to crash into us or anything.
This Sunday, January 12, is when it’ll be at its brightest. A space-watching site mentioned that Alinda is one of the five largest asteroids coming close to Earth until 2200. Just to give you an idea, Manhattan is about 3.7 kilometers wide at its widest point.
You can see Alinda with your own eyes, but if you want a better view, maybe grab some binoculars. The weather in London might be a bit cloudy on Sunday night, but the asteroid will be shining bright all night long.
Don’t miss out on this chance! Alinda won’t be back this close to Earth until 2087, so it’s a rare sight.
