At around 6:28 p.m. an asteroid the size of an aircraft, passed Earth.
The asteroid passed Earth closer than the moon’s orbit—Reportedly, the last time an asteroid of this size came this close was back in the 1970s.
NASA released a radar video of Asteroid 2005 YU55, showing the space rock passing by the planet.
According to NASA, the trajectory of asteroid is well understood and the space rock was no closer than 201,700 miles from the center of Earth at its closest.
NASA also reported that the gravitational influence of the asteroid would have no effect on Earth, including tides and tectonic plates.
Radar observations began today in Puerto Rico from the Arecibo Planetary Radar Facility and continued throughout the day as the large asteroid passed by the planet—Scientists began tracking the asteroid closely Friday and have tracked it for at least four hours each day since.
NASA’s The Near-Earth Object Observations Program in Pasadena, Calif., discovers asteroids and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.
Reportedly, the asteroid is in an orbit that frequents the vicinity of Earth but this encounter will be the closest it has come for at least the last 200 years.
The next known approach, according to NASA, will be in 2028.
