2014-YB35: massive asteroid set to fly by Earth
Rock should safely fly by, and is much further away than the last almost-visitor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An asteroid that is 1,000-metres wide is set to skim past Earth this week, travelling at more than 23,000 mph.
The rock, named 2014-YB35, will pass by relatively close to Earth. But that is 2.8 million miles away, 11.7 times further away than the moon.
As it skims past, it will be watched by scientists at the Goldstone Observatory, in California’s Mojave Desert. They have already started watching the asteroid, and hope to work out what exact size it is and what it is made up of.
When the last asteroid flew past, such observations yielded unexpected results. Nasa saw that the asteroid was carrying its own moon — about 70 meters across — which was until that point unknown.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments