A Small Asteroid Will Make A Flyby In March

On February 2nd 2016, it was announced that a small asteroid would make a close pass of earth on March 5th 2016. The asteroid named 2013 TX68, is a 100 ft long space rock that is expected to flyby the Earth at a distance of either 9 million miles or as close as 11,000 miles. The reason for the wide possible range is that the asteroid was only discovered on October 6th 2013, when it flew past the Earth at 1.3 million miles.

Scientists at NASA's Near Earth Objects Center (NEO) say that, though there isn't much data on asteroid 2013 TX68, there is little chance that it will collide with the Earth. But they have, however identified a somewhat remote chance of 2013 TX68 hitting the Earth when it flies by again on September 28th 2017. They say that odds of an impact at that time will be more than 1-in-250. The asteroid is expected to pass the Earth again in 2046 and 2097.

At 100 ft across, asteroid 2013 TX68 is a little less than twice the size of the asteroid that broke up over Chelyabinsk, Russia, which has been estimated to have been 65 ft in length. If an asteroid the size of 2013 TX68 were to strike the Earth's atmosphere, it would create an air burst twice the size of the Chelyabinsk event. Scientists are hoping that 2013 TX68 will be picked up by NEO search telescopes during its flyby next month, giving them more data about its uncertain orbit.