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 wide, roughly the size of the Parthenon, and big enough to wipe out a large city if it hit our planet.
Last week, the UN-endorsed International Asteroid Warning Network decided it would take advantage of the close look, carrying out a"rapid characterization" of 2023 DZ2, Moissl said. The goal is to find out just how much we can learn about such an asteroid in only a week, Moissl said. Earlier this month a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046.
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