A small asteroid made a relatively close approach to Earth on Tuesday evening, according to NASA.
The agency said Asteroid 2010 WC9 would approach our planet around 6:04 p.m. eastern time and pass by us harmlessly. The flyby is the closest approach the asteroid will make for at least two centuries.
The asteroid was not expected to come closer than 120,000 miles. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said it would be nearest to Antarctica when it passes by. They said 2010 WC9 would be traveling at about 29,000 miles per hour, or 8 miles per second when it was closest to Earth.
The asteroid, measuring about 200 to 400 feet across, was originally discovered on Nov. 30, 2010 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tuscon. It was tracked for about 10 days before it faded from view.
You can learn more about the approach and Asteroid 2010 WC9 on NASA’s website.