A whopper of an asteroid will make a close approach to Earth on April 19. There's no need to panic, though; NASA says it won't collide with our planet. But it will get extremely close for an asteroid of that size.

Named 2014 JO25, this giant space rock measures approximately 2,000 feet across — about the height of the Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building and the second-tallest building in the world. It will pass by Earth at a safe distance of 1.1 million miles, or nearly five times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

"Small asteroids pass within this distance of Earth several times each week, but this upcoming close approach is the closest by any known asteroid of this size, or larger, since asteroid Toutatis, a 3.1-mile asteroid, which approached within about four lunar distances in September 2004," NASA officials said in a statement. [Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space]

NASA first learned of 2014 JO25 three years ago, when astronomers monitoring the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona spotted it with their telescopes. Sponsored by NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observation Program, the survey searches for potentially Earth-threatening asteroids in the solar system.

While NASA doesn't know much about its physical properties, the agency's NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission indicates that the asteroid is about twice as reflective as the moon. Skywatchers will be able to see it with a small telescope. After it first becomes visible in the night sky, it will slowly fade into the distance, disappearing after one or two nights.

"The April 19 encounter provides an outstanding opportunity to study this asteroid, and astronomers plan to observe it with telescopes around the world to learn as much about it as possible," NASA said in the statement. "Radar observations are planned at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar in California and the National Science Foundation’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, and the resulting radar images could reveal surface details as small as a few meters."

source: https://web.facebook.com/forum9ja/photos/a.402605389801267.90510.402595333135606/1466987983362997/?type=3&theater

don't believe everything white men say

Old news

wow. I had a dream that the world agencies are not telling us enough about this comet cus in my dream the comet touched the Earth and caused damages. just pray and stay close to your loved one. cus I believe in what I saw.

hmmmm

uzoclinton:
fg

lols person wey nor know say you dey drag first to comment space now go think say na Buhari na him cause am

And so?

Pls pass my area

Hope Nigerian government won't loot it?.... Because those guys are despicable and they can also claim it is part of the changes APC initiated during its era.






Anyway let the asteroid pass jejely oo. I don't wanna here it fell anywhere oo.

Una b winch?
Gudmornin nairalanders
👆👆👆👆

Pgod

Okay safe journey, after all, it's not even welcome on earth!

SciFi bulshevik

We here are reciting Bible and Qur'an upandan

Story. We are wiser now with the hoax on d shape of the earth and mission to the moon

.please hit Nigeria, aso rock & the military HQ.

i suspect north korea missile test o

I just hope they did their calculations right at NASA?!

Pass my area oo

It better pass above Nigeria

Ok

Can someone teach me something.... I hope it will not crash in my Village.... The building am doing there is more important than any fly things...

Abeg make e take am easy as e dey fly

My country people will not believe this. Nigeria is so gone

I know Zamfara Governor will not believe all these nonsense.

SMH

Why particles no just fall for aso rock/national assembly

Wetin concern me

A conspiracy theory video I watched said they're just 'testing the waters' for the event of a possible nuclear war 'flat earthers' no go kill person abeg

sustainable:
lols person wey nor know say you dey drag first to comment space now go think say na Buhari na him cause am

lol....

sustainable:
wow. I had a dream that the world agencies are not telling us enough about this comet cus in my dream the comet touched the Earth and caused damages. just pray and stay close to your loved one. cus I believe in what I saw.

so there are people who dream about space objects..

what time is it passing Nigeria please