This Sunday, an asteroid 4.2 kilometers wide will be visible from Earth in an event that will take several decades to repeat, since it is not estimated to occur again until the year 2087.
This is (887) Alinda, which a few days ago passed quickly close to Earth, but is not yet out of sight and can be observed from home with a few basic binoculars to observe the stars or in a broadcast in en streaming free.
Last Wednesday, January 8, the rock passed its closest point to Earth in decades, the last until its expected return in 2087. But this Sunday, stargazers will be able to observe its passage with a brightness of magnitude 9.4.
Although will not be bright enough to see with the naked eyethe peak of its brightness this Sunday will be visible to those who have binoculars for stargazing.
Gianluca Masi, who directs the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, says that binoculars or a good garden telescope will be enough to see the passage, collect the Mirror.
The asteroid will be visible as it passes by the constellation of Gemini, which appears in the northern hemisphere just after dusk and remains visible throughout the night. For those who do not have the necessary equipment to view the asteroid from their homes, on YouTube there is a streaming ready for broadcast.
Events like this close pass typically occur once a decade, with Alinda being one of the five largest asteroids to pass within 15 million kilometers of the planet. It is believed that the next one to pass so close will be in the year 2200.
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