NASA: Earth-Crossing Asteroid Bigger Than A Pyramid To Fly By On Saturday

NASA is currently monitoring a massive asteroid that will cross Earth’s orbit on Saturday (April 18). According to the data collected by the agency, the approaching asteroid is bigger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

The incoming asteroid has been identified by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 2020 FV6. As indicated in the agency’s database, this asteroid is currently moving across the Solar System at an incredible speed of over 44,000 miles per hour.

CNEOS estimated that the asteroid measures about 492 feet wide. Given its size, 2020 FV6 is significantly taller than the Statue of Liberty.

2020 FV6 was first observed on March 29. After observing the asteroid, NASA learned that it follows a very wide orbit around the Sun. According to the agency, 2020 FV6’s trajectory can sometimes take the asteroid near the orbit of Jupiter.

From time to time, the asteroid intersects the path of Earth as the planet completes its cycle around the Sun. Due to its Earth-crossing trajectory, 2020 FV6 has been labeled by NASA as an Apollo asteroid.

According to CNEOS, the approaching asteroid will cross Earth’s path on April 19 at 8:29 a.m. EDT. As the asteroid makes its approach, it will completely miss Earth by a distance of 0.02761 astronomical units or around 2.6 million miles away.

As indicated in NASA’s diagram for the asteroid’s orbit, 2020 FV6 is not expected to return to Earth’s vicinity until Sept. 15, 2037. During this time, the space rock will fly past Earth from a distance of about 0.05500 astronomical units, which is equivalent to around 5.1 million miles away.