What's happened
An asteroid the size of a football pitch will pass by Earth at a safe distance.
Why it matters
The asteroid's close approach is a rare and exciting astronomical event, offering a unique opportunity for observation.
What the papers say
The Guardian emphasizes the asteroid's harmless nature, while The Independent highlights the significance of the event in the context of potential hazardous asteroids. The New York Post provides additional details about the asteroid's size and distance from Earth.
How we got here
The asteroid, first spotted in 2008, is on a highly elliptical orbit and will not pass this close to Earth for another couple of hundred years.
More on these topics
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Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. According to radiometric dating estimation and other evidence, Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
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The James Webb Space Telescope is a joint NASA–ESA–CSA space telescope that is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's flagship astrophysics mission.
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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the city of La Cañada Flintridge with a Pasadena mailing address, within the state of California, United States.