A newly discovered asteroid around the size of a house will make a close pass by Earth tomorrow (Sep. 7), soaring just pack the communication satellites that circle our planet, according to NASA.
NASA said the asteroid, which has been called 2014 RC, poses no threat to Earth, though it will be just 25,000 miles from Earth at its closest approach.
Its closest approach will be over New Zealand at 6:18 am on Sept. 8, local time, NASA said.
Weather and communications satellites are usually located in orbit around 22,000 miles above Earth.
"While this celestial object does not appear to pose any threat to Earth or satellites, its close approach creates a unique opportunity for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids," NASA said in a statement released this week.
Asteroid 2014 RC has a diameter of about 60 feet, meaning it will be too dim to see with the naked eye, but amateur astronomers with small telescopes should be able to spot it as it passes by, NASA said.
The asteroid is smaller than the 65-foot diameter asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013.
More than 1,000 people were injured by debris and flying glass from destroyed windows and damaged buildings.
Another larger asteroid flew just 17,168 miles from Earth the same day as the explosion, well within striking distance of the planet's communications and weather satellites, according to NASA.
Earth's latest celestial visitor was seen on Aug. 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and confirmed on Sept. 1 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii.
NASA tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass close to Earth, according to the space agency.
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