This Christmas, space enthusiasts are in for a treat. The Statue of Liberty-sized asteroid that is heading toward Earth this holiday season may very possibly be visible to you, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
On December 15, the asteroid is anticipated to pass Earth at a distance of just 6,86,000 kilometres.
The asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of under two lunar miles, according to the space agency.
This mid-sized asteroid will be more visible to nations in the southern hemisphere than to those in the northern hemisphere.
According to the ESA, the asteroid 2015 RN35 will be visible in Europe until about December 19.
Sharing details, Richard Moissl, ESA Head of Planetary Defence said: "This middle-sized asteroid, 60-140 metres in diameter, will fly close to Earth on 15 December, becoming visible to amateur astronomers around the globe. Join the challenge to spot it with #ESAChristmasAsteroid."
The asteroid does not glow brightly, therefore it could be difficult to really see it. Similar to Pluto, it has a visible magnitude in the night sky that is lower than 14. According to the ESA, telescopes 30 cm and bigger can aid in locating the Christmas asteroid.
According to a statement from the ESA, this asteroid is particularly intriguing because nothing is known about it.
"We don't know what it's made of or precisely how big it is or if it's spinning on its axis or even know its orbit particularly well," adding that Near-Earth asteroids like this one are important as they offer "key insights into the composition and trajectory of potentially hazardous objects."
The likelihood of the asteroid hitting Earth in the next century has been estimated to be zero.