NASA Says Incoming Asteroid Is, About to Have a Close Encounter With Earth.<br />According to NASA, an asteroid currently hurtling <br />toward Earth is expected to make one of the <br />closest passes humanity has ever experienced.<br />However, 'The Independent' reports that <br />the object is expected to pass by safely.<br />On the evening of January 26 or early on <br />January 27, the asteroid is expected <br />to make its closest approach.<br />It is believed to be <br />about 3.5 meters by 8.5 meters.<br />The asteroid was only spotted <br />days before it's scheduled to pass by Earth.<br />Amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov <br />discovered the asteroid on January 21.<br />Once the asteroid was detected, NASA examined<br />it with its Scout system, which is designed <br />to predict the potential threat of collisions.<br />Scout quickly ruled out 2023 BU <br />as an impactor, but despite the very <br />few observations, it was nonetheless <br />able to predict that the asteroid <br />would make an extraordinarily <br />close approach with Earth, Davide Farnocchia, navigation engineer <br />at JPL, via 'The Independent'.<br />In fact, this is one of the closest <br />approaches by a known <br />near-Earth object ever recorded, Davide Farnocchia, navigation engineer <br />at JPL, via 'The Independent'.<br />'The Independent' reports that the near <br />miss will cause the Earth's gravity to <br />significantly alter the orbit of the asteroid.
