A massive asteroid called 2023 DZ2 is set to fly between Earth and the moon on March 24th and 25th, providing an excellent opportunity for astronomers to study it. Despite its size, it poses no threat to Earth. Another asteroid, 2023 DW, discovered in February, carries a potentially larger risk to Earth, with a 1 in 607 chance of impact. NASA’s successful DART mission in September 2022 has given scientists more knowledge and technology to protect the planet from catastrophic asteroid impacts. The European Space Agency’s Hera mission will depart in October 2024 to study the aftermath of DART’s mission. Itinerary has it arriving at Didymos and its small moonlet Dimorphos in late 2026.
‘City-Killer’ Asteroid to Pass Close to Earth
On March 24th and 25th, a massive asteroid roughly the size of a 20-story building is set to fly between the Earth and the moon. The asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, was only discovered about a month ago and will pass within 320,000 miles of the moon on Saturday before quickly speeding by the Indian Ocean at a rate of approximately 17,500 miles per hour. The asteroid will be at its closest point to Earth on March 25th at about 3:50 PM EDT.
The asteroid will be visible through binoculars and telescopes in the right locations as it passes by Earth. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best chance to spot it during the evening of March 24th. Astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network are using this close approach to learn more about 2023 DZ2 in a short time period as this distance is only half the distance from the Earth to the moon.
Despite the size of the asteroid, there is no chance of it colliding with Earth. This is good news for Earthlings, as 2023 DZ2 posed a very slight risk of impact with the planet on March 27th, 2026. However, the asteroid was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on March 21st, 2023.
Richard Moissl, the European Space Agency’s planetary defense chief, stated that this close encounter, by planetary standards, presents an excellent opportunity for observations. NASA also confirmed that the asteroid’s close approach will provide insight into asteroids that could help astronomers learn more about the potential for planetary defense.
The Virtual Telescope Project will be providing a live webcast of the asteroid’s close approach. This is a significant opportunity for astronomers to study this space rock from over 100,000 miles away. Though this is half the distance from the Earth to the moon, it is still close enough to offer a rare chance to study the asteroid.
Astronomers Study Asteroids and Planetary Defense
A group of astronomers at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in Spain discovered an asteroid in late February that has been the subject of ongoing study. The asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, is estimated to be between 140 and 310 feet in diameter. Another asteroid, named 2023 DW, discovered in February, carries a potentially larger risk to Earth. The European Space Agency has placed it on its Risk List with a 1 in 607 chance of impacting Earth. The potential for a collision is predicted to occur around February 14th, 2046, or in subsequent years between 2047 and 2051.
NASA’s successful DART mission in September 2022 has given scientists more knowledge and technology to protect the planet from catastrophic asteroid impacts. The mission smashed a car-sized spacecraft into an asteroid named Dimorphos to knock it off its orbit. Lindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defense officer, told PopSci that the DART mission was a significant milestone in humanity’s capabilities to protect the planet.
Following the DART mission, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will depart from Cape Canaveral in Florida in October 2024 on the wings of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission’s itinerary, as of March 2023, has it arriving at Didymos and its small moonlet Dimorphos in late 2026 for about six months of sightseeing. If conditions allow, Hera will attempt a full landing on Didymos.
Asteroid 2023 DZ2’s close approach between Earth and the moon on March 24th and 25th, by planetary standards, presents a significant opportunity for astronomers to study this space rock. Though it poses no threat to Earth, this is still an exciting opportunity to learn more about asteroids. This close encounter is one of the many ways that astronomers learn more about asteroids to help prevent potential threats in the future.
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