Huge Asteroid Flyby Expected Today
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – An asteroid so big it has its own moon will fly by the earth today, but you likely won't be able to see it.
The asteroid, dubbed 1998 QE2, is expected to soar past us around 5 p.m., but will still be 3.6 million miles away, according to NASA.
According to Space.com, it's the size of nine cruise ships – USA Today describes it as the size of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Being so far away, the asteroid doesn't pose a threat, but NASA says it's launching a new asteroid initiative to study the formations more closely.
It's budgeted money next year to try to safely capture a near-Earth asteroid and redirect it so that it orbits our planet, making it possible for astronauts to study it up close.
Several people in the Pittsburgh-area and nearby states also reported seeing a large meteor Thursday night around 11 p.m.
Space.com will have a live webcam that will stream coverage of the asteroid flyby.
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