How to See the Giant Asteroid That Will Pass by Earth This Weekend

Key Points:

• Asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will make its closest approach to Earth in 400 years on June 27, passing at a safe distance of 2.56 million kilometers, or 6.6 times the distance to the moon, with no risk of impact.
• The asteroid, estimated to be between 700 meters and 1.6 kilometers in diameter, will be visible through commercial telescopes and astronomical binoculars from various regions including Europe, Mexico, the US, and Argentina around June 26-28.
• It will appear as a small point of light with a brightness near magnitude 10, similar to Neptune, moving slowly among the stars, but will be too faint to see with the naked eye, especially due to the near-full moon reducing sky contrast.
• Observers are advised to use telescopes with at least a 100 millimeter aperture or 15x70 to 20x80 binoculars mounted on a tripod, and astronomy apps can help locate the asteroid near the constellations Ophiuchus and Serpens Cauda.
• For those unable to observe directly, the Virtual Telescope Project will host livestreams tracking the asteroid on June 26 and 27.