Asteroid to zoom by Earth in close, safe encounter

(Gray News) - A large asteroid is set to fly by Earth Tuesday afternoon.

NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies said the object, named 7482 (1994 PC1), will pass within about 1.2 million miles of the planet.

The asteroid, estimated to be a kilometer wide, is moving at 47,000 mph.

NASA calls it a “potentially hazardous asteroid” because of its “potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth.”

Scientists don’t expect it to hit Earth, but NASA predicted it’s the closest an asteroid will come for the next two centuries.

Amateur astronomers should be able to spot it with a small telescope.

NASA is also tracking it via its Eyes on Asteroids website, and people can also watch the Virtual Telescope Project’s livestream beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern.

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