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Astronomers are watching a "potentially hazardous asteroid" passing close to Earth this month.

Toutatis (or asteroid 4179), a 3-mile-wide space rock, will come within 960,000 miles of Earth on Sept. 29.

Although it is too far away to panic about, Toutatis is the largest known rock to come this close to earth in more than a century.

Since its orbit is so eccentric (it can't be predicted for more than a few hundred years in the future), astronomers want to use the flyby to learn as much about Toutatis as possible.

Tombstone wrote: Astronomers are watching a "potentially hazardous asteroid" passing close to Earth this month.

Toutatis (or asteroid 4179), a 3-mile-wide space rock, will come within 960,000 miles of Earth on Sept. 29.

Although it is too far away to panic about, Toutatis is the largest known rock to come this close to earth in more than a century.

Since its orbit is so eccentric (it can't be predicted for more than a few hundred years in the future), astronomers want to use the flyby to learn as much about Toutatis as possible.
I think this is cool. Im glad that it wont hit us, but one day......

RedSoxFan wrote: I think this is cool. Im glad that it wont hit us, but one day......
Yeah, and you know Murphy's Law. The one that will get us will be the one that we *don't see!