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'Scientifically Interesting' asteroid sailing between earth and the moon today.

A large asteroid will safely zoom between Earth and the Moon on Saturday, a once-in-a-decade event that will be used as a training exercise for planetary defense efforts, according to the European Space Agency.

The asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, is estimated to be 40 to 70 meters (130 to 230 feet) wide, roughly the size of the Parthenon, and big enough to wipe out a large city if it hit our planet.

At 19:49 GMT on Saturday, it will come within a third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon, said Richard Moissl, the head of the ESA's planetary defense office.

Though that is "very close", there is nothing to worry about, he told AFP.

Small asteroids fly past every day, but one of this size coming so close to Earth only happens around once every 10 years, he added.

The asteroid will pass 175,000 kilometers (109,000 miles) from Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour (17,400 miles per hour). The moon is roughly 385,000 kilometers away.

An observatory in La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands, first spotted the asteroid on February 27.

The asteroid will again swing past Earth in 2026, but poses no threat of impact for at least the next 100 years – which is how far out its trajectory has been calculated.

Source: www.sciencealert.com

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