Asteroid To Pass Near The Earth

On September 1st 2017, a massive asteroid will make a close pass near the Earth. According to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the asteroid, which has been named Florence, is the largest object to pass by the Earth in nearly a century and the largest since NASA began keeping track of such objects. The CENOS says that there is no danger that Florence will impact the Earth as it passes at a distance of 4.4 million miles.

Florence, named after Florence Nightingale, is huge. Its size has been measured at 2.7 miles across and is what NASA is calling a "world ender."  Australian astronomer, Schette "Bobby" Bus, was the first to spot the asteroid in 1981, at Australia's Siding Springs Observatory. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA has determined that Florence came close to the earth in 1890 and has projected that it won't return again until 2500.