Your support helps us tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to big tech, The Independent is on the ground as the story unfolds. Whether it’s investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump political action committee or producing our latest documentary The Word, which highlights American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to analyze the facts from the reporter.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to continue sending journalists to talk to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the political spectrum. Unlike many other high-quality news outlets, we choose not to exclude Americans from our reporting and analysis through a paywall. We believe that quality journalism should be available to everyone, and paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes a difference.
A massive asteroid, more than two miles across, has come closest to Earth in decades, but its spectacle is far from over.
The asteroid, called (887) Alinda, will reach its peak brightness at the end of this week in a rare celestial event that can be observed with basic binoculars or through a free live broadcast.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory estimates that Alinda is about 2.6 miles across, about the width of Manhattan. On January 8, it reached a distance of 7.6 million miles from Earth, nearly 32 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. The next time this lockdown goes through again will be in 2087.
While an asteroid of this size could cause catastrophic damage if it struck Earth, Alinda poses no threat. Instead, its size makes it an ideal target for amateur astronomers.
On Sunday, the asteroid will reach a peak brightness of 9.4 magnitude, which is too faint for the naked eye but visible through beginner binoculars or a backyard telescope, according to Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project.
Sky observing expert Jimmy Carter said that Alinda will be visible in the constellation Gemini, which appears in the northern hemisphere immediately after dark and remains visible throughout the night.
The Virtual Telescope Project is also hosting a free live stream of Alinda’s flyby at 12:30 PM EST via its official YouTube page.
Events of this magnitude are uncommon. According to Mr. Massey, only a few asteroids of this size will pass within 15 million kilometers (9.3 million miles) of Earth before the year 2200.
NASA confirmed that Alinda or any other known asteroid does not pose a threat to Earth for at least the next century.