Asteroid will pass Earth safely this week

Yet another asteroid in the news! This one is a little less splashy than the recent disintegration of the 1-meter-wide asteroid over France, but observers with telescopes can watch it. In fact, on recent nights, amateur astronomers using telescopes have already been able to spot this larger space rock that scientists estimate at almost a 1/2-mile-wide (1-km-wide). This asteroid, 199145, is set to safely pass by our planet on the night of Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Astronomers at Kitt Peak Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, discovered asteroid 199145 (2005 YY128) on December 30, 2005.

With a diameter between 1,903 feet (580 meters) to 4,265 feet (1.3 km), the space rock earned the classification of a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid. Its medium size makes it bright enough that observers with an 8-inch or larger telescope can spot it. Furthermore, sky enthusiasts with camera-equipped scopes have been able to capture the asteroid even in smaller telescopes.

This week, asteroid 2005 YY128 is having its closest approach to Earth in more than 400 years. However, there’s nothing to fear. That’s because its orbit is well known, and it will safely pass by our planet’s south pole at about 12 lunar distances. Its closest approach will occur on February 15, 2023, around 7:46 p.m. EST.

The path of the asteroid

The Apollo-type asteroid is traveling through space at a speed of 55,140 miles per hour (88,740 km/h or 24.65 km/sec), relative to Earth. The space rock’s high speed allows amateur astronomers to detect its motion in front of the stars. However, the distance makes it appear as a slow-moving object.

This video shows asteroid 2005 YY128, which appears as a small moving star. Raymond Negron captured the asteroid with a 92-mm telescope from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico:

Astronomers are using the Goldstone Antenna in California to try to obtain radar images of asteroid 2005 YY128 from February 11 to 13, 2023.

Observers in the southern U.S. can try to spot the space rock using telescopes on the night of February 13, while those in the Southern Hemisphere will be favored during the asteroid’s closest approach.

Star charts for asteroid 2005 YY128

Bottom line: A 1/2-mile-wide (1-km-wide) asteroid will pass Earth safely on February 15 and 16, 2023. Observers with telescopes can spot it. See star charts here.