ALERT: "Small Mountain" Asteroid 2004 BL86 Very Close Encounter Jan. 26 (+Video)

Asteroids sweep by Earth all the time but one is particularly attracting attention, given its size and how close it will be flying by the planet.

Called 2004 BL86, the asteroid is estimated to be about 650 m – 950 m   
Coming in as close as 745,000 miles from Earth, equivalent to around three times the distance of the moon to the planet, 2004 BL86 will be making the closest flyby for an asteroid this large.

The asteroid is expected to be observable to amateur astronomers with small telescopes and strong binoculars.

“Monday, January 26 will be the closest asteroid 2004 BL86 will get to Earth for at least the next 200 years. And while it poses no threat to Earth for the foreseeable future, it’s a relatively close approach by a relatively large asteroid, so it provides us a unique opportunity to observe and learn more,” said Don Yeomans, former Near Earth Object Program Office manager from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Yeomans retired last Jan. 9.

Read more here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4441

http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.gr/  LUNAR METEORITE ‘HUNTER’ 

Clips credit: NASA – ESO

Image credit: NASA/JPL