European space The agency (ESA) has confirmed that asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will make its closest approach to Earth in 400 years this weekend. There is no risk of it hitting Earth, but it will be evident through commercial telescopes and astronomical binoculars from various parts of the world.
Its closest approach will be on Saturday, June 27, when the asteroid will pass 2.56 million kilometers (1.59 million miles) from Earth – a distance equivalent to 6.6 times the distance between Earth and the moon. The object – whose diameter is estimated to be from 700 meters to 1.6 km – will come so close only in 2133, according to ESA.
When will the asteroid be evident?
The asteroid will be closest to Earth on Saturday, June 27 at 11:14 UTC. However, the best time to view will depend on your location. Here is an approximate breakdown for the different regions:
- Europe: the night of June 26-27, especially in the early morning
- Mexico: night of June 26-27
- USA: night of June 26-27, best viewing conditions before sunrise
- Argentina and the Southern Cone: the night of June 27-28 when the asteroid moved towards the southern sky
The asteroid will not disappear immediately after its closest approach. It will remain evident for several days, although its brightness will gradually decrease and its position in the sky will change. If you are unable to observe it on the first night, you will still have the opportunity in the following days, although conditions will be less favorable for those living in the northern hemisphere.
What will the asteroid look like?
Even though it is larger than a skyscraper, the asteroid will be impossible to see with the naked eye. ESA estimates it will reach a brightness close to magnitude 10, similar to brightness Neptune.
Through a telescope or astronomical binoculars, the asteroid will be evident as a compact point of delicate moving slowly among the stars. Its motion will be approximately 40 arc seconds per minute. This is a fairly unrecognized astronomical measure of motion, but suffice it to say that you can only notice an object moving if you stare at it for a few minutes.
What equipment do you need?
You’ll need more than just eyes. Even under the brightest night sky, the asteroid is 40 times fainter than the faintest stars the human eye can see. The moon is also close to full, which will reduce contrast in the sky and make it complex to see other objects in the night sky.
At its closest approach, it will be near the constellation Ophiuchus and the Serpent’s Tail, south of the dazzling star Vega. Astronomy apps like Stellarium, Sky Tonight, and SkySafari can assist you locate a location in the sky at any given time by searching for “1997 NC1.”
To get more than just the view from the app, astronomers recommend using the ad telescope with an aperture of at least 100 millimeters (4 inches), although models with a diameter of 150 to 200 millimeters will provide a much more comfortable viewing experience. It will also be possible to see it using 15 x 70 or 20 x 80 astronomical binoculars, preferably mounted on a tripod and from a place away from delicate pollution.
If it’s shadowy or you don’t have a telescope at hand (or you simply prefer to watch celestial phenomena from your couch), the Virtual Telescope project is for you hosting live broadcasts on June 26 and 27, which will track the asteroid.
This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish and was translated from Spanish.