NASA: A Large Asteroid Will Pass Earth In September
- 7 years ago
NASA said on Thursday that a large asteroid named Florence will safely pass Earth on September 1.
Scientists are getting ready to study an asteroid that's nearly 3 miles in size.
"Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles," NASA notes in a news release. "Florence is among the largest near-Earth asteroids that are several miles is size."
Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, explains the significance of the event.
“While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on September 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller," Chodas says. "Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began.”
Florence was discovered in 1981 and named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
Scientists are getting ready to study an asteroid that's nearly 3 miles in size.
"Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles," NASA notes in a news release. "Florence is among the largest near-Earth asteroids that are several miles is size."
Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, explains the significance of the event.
“While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on September 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller," Chodas says. "Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began.”
Florence was discovered in 1981 and named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.