‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday

A “potentially hazardous” asteroid will pass Earth on Friday at its closest point to the planet in more than 100 years.

The football stadium-sized rock won’t be as close again in centuries, according to Live Science.

Called 2008 OS7, the asteroid will fly past Earth at a distance of about 1.77 million miles, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The asteroid is about 890 feet wide and will fly past Earth at 41,000 mph.

It is classified as “potentially hazardous” due to its size and closeness to Earth, though JPL predictions show the asteroid is never likely to strike the planet. If a potentially hazardous asteroid were to strike Earth, it would be big enough to wipe out a city as large as New York.

JPL has simulated every close approach the asteroid has made since 1900, according to Live Science, and predicted every close approach it will make until 2198. Friday’s pass will be the closest the space rock has ever or will ever come to Earth.

You can watch the asteroid flyby on a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. The livestream will begin at 1p.m. EST on Friday.

‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday

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