Giant asteroid will miss Earth this weekend

“There is no threat of a collision with our planet.”

Why is it that when you read those words you instantly wonder if there could indeed be a collision with our planet?

We’re talking a giant asteroid, heading toward planet Earth this weekend. How big? A quarter-mile wide kind of big. As wide as the Empire State Building is tall kind of big. If an asteroid of this size were to hit earth at an 80 degree angle it could leave an impact crater 6 miles wide.

But it won’t. Not even close. Well, close in the grand scheme of the universe. But not close at all for us mere mortal inhabitants of the third rock from the sun. It will pass Earth at a distance of five times from here to the moon. A perspective way of saying it will pass 1.25 million miles away.

2001 F032 is its name. We have been tracking it for years. It will pass safely but won’t be very visible to amateur astronomers. There would be a better chance if you lived in the Southern Hemisphere. Here virtually none. There’s a great explanation about it in an NJ.com article.

There is however a way for you to see it virtually. Go to this website in the wee hours of Monday morning, shortly after midnight Sunday in our time zone, and you could track its journey past Earth.

And get this. It will be moving at 77,000 miles per hour. Better ease up near New Jersey pal. They’ll double those fines in a work zone.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.