The "Beast" asteroid is expected to fly close to Earth.
The massive asteroid which is set to fly by on Sunday, June 8, shortly before 2 a.m. EDT will not be hitting our planet. It's approximate distance will be around three lunar lengths away, or roughly 716,500 miles from Earth.
Also called Asteroid 2014 HQ124 was first seen last April by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer. The asteroid reportedly measures 1,083 ft. in diameter and is classified as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid."
According to astronomer Bob Berman of the Slooh Space Camera in an interview for National Geographic:
"What's disconcerting is that a rocky/metallic body this large, and coming so very close, should have only first been discovered this soon before its nearest approach."
"HQ124 is at least 10 times bigger, and possibly 20 times [bigger], than the asteroid that injured a thousand people last year in Chelyabinsk, Siberia. If it were [to] impact us, the energy released would be measured not in kilotons like the atomic bombs that ended World War II, but in H-bomb type megatons."
NASA has partnered with Slooh to better search for near-Earth asteroids. Some smaller asteroids often go unnoticed as compared to larger ones which are usually spotted even before they come near our planet.
The Slooh Space Camera will document the "Beast" asteroid fly by from Australia. It will start with a "preview" on Thursday, June 5 at 2:30 p.m. EDT that will include time-lapse imagery from its observatory in Chile.
What do you think of the "Beast" asteroid? Do you think it will be a potential threat to our planet? What do you think of NASA's efforts in tracking near-Earth asteroids? Sound off below, and stay tuned to Kpopstarz for updates on this trending news.
