Astronomy Essentials

Asteroid close encounter January 26: How to watch online

Several circles around the sun representing planetary and an asteroid's orbits.
View larger. | The Virtual Telescope Project in Rome will show you an asteroid close encounter beginning at 19:15 UTC (2:15 p.m. ET), when asteroid 2023 BU sweeps very close to Earth on January 26, 2023.

The just-discovered near-Earth asteroid 2023 BU (about five meters in size) will sweep extremely close to Earth today (January 26, 2023). It’ll pass less than 3% of the moon’s average distance, and about a quarter the distance of geostationary satellites. Details here on a live public observing event, which begins at 19:15 UTC (2:15 p.m. ET).

Watch an asteroid close encounter with Earth

On January 26, 2023, the near-Earth asteroid 2023 BU will have an extremely close, but safe, encounter with Earth. Indeed, it’ll pass less than 6,200 miles (10,000 km) from the Earth’s center, and be within the distance of about one-quarter of the geostationary satellites orbiting the Earth. And to be sure, the Virtual Telescope Project – based in Rome – will show it to you live!

Watch the asteroid close encounter live

The Virtual Telescope Project will show it live, online, just around the flyby time. You can watch it from the comfort of your home.

The live feed will start on January 26, 2023, at 19:15 UTC.

To join, you just need to go to the website of the Virtual Telescope Project, at the date and time above, and enter our webTV page here!

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Asteroid 2023 BU discovered on Saturday

G. Borisov discovered the near-Earth asteroid 2023 BU on January 21, 2023. It’s believed to have a diameter between 12 to 28 feet (3.7 – 8.2 meters). Also, its minimum distance from Earth will be on January 26, 2023, at 21:17 UTC, when the asteroid will be less than 6,200 miles (10,000 km) from the center of the Earth. In fact, that is also within the distance of one-quarter of Earth’s geostationary satellites, and less than three percent of the average distance between the Earth and the moon. In addition, asteroid 2023 BU will fly just 2,174 miles (3,500 km) above the Earth’s surface.

Bottom line: A small asteroid – 2023 BU – will come very close to Earth on January 26, 2023. It’ll pass safely 2,174 miles (3,500 km) away from Earth. Details here about an online public observing event.

Posted 
January 26, 2023
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

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