#astronomical-observation

#astronomical-observation

Soon after it was spotted in December 2024, worldwide telescopic observations quickly positioned it as the most dangerous space rock ever discovered—one that stood a 3.1-percent (or 1-in-32) chance of crashing into Earth on December 22, 2032. If it were to hit one of the cities potentially in its path, this 60-meter asteroid would have unleashed a force comparable to several atomic bombs, devastating the unfortunate metropolis.

In October, a newly discovered comet will streak so close to Earth that people may be able to make out its heavenly fireworks with the naked eye - a spectacle that won't happen again for more than a millennium, according to Space.com, so it's worth trying to spot it. This icy interstellar visitor, now given the clunky name of C/2025 R2 (SWAN), is estimated to make its closest approach to Earth at a mere 25.10 million miles away on around October 21, Space.com reports. It's visible to people with telescopes and binoculars in the Southern Hemisphere, but it may become bright enough to see unaided as its trajectory brings it into view in the Northern Hemisphere.