It will make a clean pass by our planet and is expected to reach speeds of more than 24,000mph. The asteroid is one of three which will pass Earth this weekend, with two others flying past on Saturday. 2024 GD5 is estimated to be between 11 metres and 24 metres in diameter and will fly past our planet at 3:39am.
Any objects coming within 128million miles of Earth is technically considered an NEO. NEOs are relatively common, despite the scary-sounding name. These asteroids can also be incredibly far away from Earth and still be classified as an NEO by astronomers. NASA said: "As they orbit the Sun, NEOs can occasionally approach close to Earth.
"Note that a 'close' passage astronomically can be very far away in human terms: millions or even tens of millions of kilometres. Occasionally, asteroids' orbital paths are influenced by the gravitational tug of planets, which cause their paths to alter. Scientists believe stray asteroids or fragments from earlier collisions have slammed into Earth in the past, playing a major role in the evolution of our planet."
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