Asteroid to Speed Past Earth this Morning

Pasasdena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be looking skyward this morning, as an asteroid approaches Earth within a distance of 3.9 million miles. As a point of reference, that's still sixteen times the space between our planet and its moon. But for astronomers, this is an enticingly rare opportunity.

Asteroids being hurled past the Earth by the sheer force of gravity. Rocky objects of a more diminutive size which traverse space are known as meteoroids; unless they happen to enter Earth's atmosphere -- at which point they're referred to as meteors.

First discovered more than two decades ago, this asteroid was named 1998 OR2 by its researchers. What makes its approach so exciting is the rarity of such events. There's a lot of data astronomers hope to gain by studying the object, and they won't have another crack at examining it in such proximity until 2079.

For those worried about a wayward asteroid colliding with Earth, rest assured that the likelihood of a terrestrial object taking your life is infinitely greater. You needn't look to the skies to gather worries. JPL officials have gone on record as deeming such an event "extremely unlikely," as most asteroids of this type have been "discovered, tracked, and cataloged."

In fact, as I now stare at my computer screen while typing this sentence, the hour of its flyby is quickly approaching for East Coast residents. Coincidentally, I happen to come from Massachusetts and suspect that few of my friends or family will be awake to witness the asteroid's passing. At 2:55 a.m. (EST), it will be heading past our planet and out into the vastness of uninhabited space.

Somewhat contrary to an earlier statement, I should mention that one of the reasons this particular asteroid has sparked such interest among the scientific community is the fact that it's been deemed "potentially hazardous." Yes, it will be millions of miles away as it passes our planet this morning. However...  events could occur within the next two-hundred years which would alter its trajectory and set it on a violent collision with Earth. This is why collecting information about its orbit is so vital -- not just for our sake, but for that of future generations.

I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful morning and a peaceful day ahead of them. Keep watching the skies and never lose your curiosity or sense of wonder -- the universe is infinitely more amazing than we could ever imagine.