An asteroid measuring between 2,461 feet and 5,413 feet in width, comparable to the size of two to four Empire State Buildings, will pass by Earth this weekend. The space rock, designated 1997 NC1, will make its closest approach on Saturday morning, coming within approximately 1.6 million miles (2.6 million kilometers) of the planet.
Discovered nearly three decades ago by an asteroid-tracking system in Hawaii, 1997 NC1 poses no danger to Earth, according to the European Space Agency. Skygazers equipped with binoculars and small telescopes may be able to observe the asteroid as a faint point of light traversing the sky.
This celestial visitor will not approach Earth from such a proximity again until the year 2133, as reported by NASA. The last instance of an asteroid of similar size passing Earth safely from a closer distance was in 2022, with an object known as 1994 PC1.
Space agencies including NASA and ESA actively monitor the trajectories of asteroids and other space debris to ensure the safety of Earth from potential collisions.