Large Asteroid Flew By Earth And Scientists Were Watching

On Tuesday of this week, an asteroid as big as a house flew past the earth at a blistering pace. The asteroid was traveling at an estimated 34,695 mph and is named 2022 GN1. Scientists observing the asteroid estimate that it was between 24.3 and 55.8 feet long.

It passed the earth at a distance of 79,000 miles, about one-third of the distance between the earth and the moon. While that is a vast distance, on a cosmic scale relatively close pass.

While the asteroid certainly posed no hazard to the earth, it offered scientists the opportunity to observe the asteroid and learn more about it. Scientists also pointed out that it was approximately the same size as the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013.

That meteor shattered windows in buildings and caused injuries to over 1000 people. Scientists take the opportunity to attempt to learn more about asteroids and their makeup each time one makes a close enough past earth allowing them to study the objects.