Asteroid to pass between Earth and Moon on Friday

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The asteroid, which is between 50 and 130 feet wide, will miss Earth by a distance of 39,000 miles — less than one-fifth the distance between Earth and the Moon.

On February 4, astronomers using the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) detected two asteroids with orbits that take them between Earth and the Moon this week. Fortunately, neither object’s trajectory presents a threat to Earth.

In fact, the week’s first visiting asteroid — dubbed asteroid 2018 CC — has already completed its closest approach to Earth. The small rocky body zoomed by our planet on Tuesday, February 6, at 3:10 p.m. EST, just 35 minutes before SpaceX launched their Falcon Heavy rocket. Asteroid 2018 CC, which is estimated to be between 50 and 100 feet (15 and 30 meters) wide, came within about 114,000 miles (184,000 kilometers) of Earth.

On the other hand, the potentially more interesting asteroid — named asteroid 2018 CB — will pass by Earth on Friday, February 9, at around 5:30 p.m. EST. With an estimated size of between 50 and 130 feet (15 and 40 meters), this asteroid is not just larger than 2018 CC, but it also passes much closer to our planet. Asteroid 2018 CB will skirt by Earth at a distance of 39,000 miles (64,000 km), bringing it five times closer to us than the Moon.


This is why we have to invest in a defection and defense shield around the Earth. We didn’t even know about it until Feb 4 and it’s passing really frickin close. Would it’s orbit have been slightly different somewhere on Earth would be really screwed.