Newly-discovered asteroid 2012 BX34 will fly past Earth on Jan. 27th only 77,000 km (0.2 lunar distances) away. There is no danger of a collision with the 14-meter wide space rock. Advanced amateur astronomers might be able to observe the flyby as the asteroid brightens to 14th magnitude just before closest approach on Friday at 15:30 UTC.
Named 2012 BX34, this 14 meter space rock will skim Earth less than 60,000 km (37,000 miles, .0004 AU), at around 15:30 UTC, (10:30 am EST) according to the Minor Planet Center. The latest estimates have this small bus-sized asteroid it traveling at about about 8,900 meters/second (about 20,000 miles per hour). 2012 BX34 has been observed by the Catalina Sky Survey and the Mt. Lemmon Survey in Arizona, and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory in New Mexico, so its orbit is well defined and there is no risk of impact to Earth.
Video and image of asteroid 2012 BX34's orbit
Featured image credit: OnOrbit
