‘Planet killer’ asteroid the size of Mount Everest to skim past Earth tonight
SUMMARY
A massive asteroid, nicknamed the "planet killer," will make its closest approach to Earth in over a century on Thursday. Officially named Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21, it will pass Earth at nearly 26 kilometers per second, just after 9pm BST (4pm ET) on June 27th. Although classified as a “potentially hazardous asteroid” by NASA, it poses no danger for at least the next thousand years. Measuring about the size of Mount Everest, it will come even closer in 2089. The Virtual Telescope Project will stream the event live. Additionally, a smaller asteroid, 2024 MK, will pass closer to Earth on June 29th.
