A 500-meter wide asteroid is all set to intersect with Earth's orbit in the early hours of July 3, just 268,624 miles away from the planet. Named as 2004XP14, this Apollo class asteroid will pass over the sky at a distance, which is nearly equal to the average distance of Moon from Earth.
Discovered in December 2004 by Lincoln Laboratory Near Earth Asteroid Research, it was assumed that this asteroid would hit the planet after a few years but further research has ruled out the scenario though it is being classified as the 783rd Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA).
Astronomers with some experience will be able to get a sneak peek at the asteroid as it keeps its date with Earth Sunday evening. But they would need a telescope though. As for the exact time and direction, space.com says, "The latest calculations show that 2004 XP14 will pass closest to Earth at 04:25 UT on July 3 (12:25 a.m. EDT or 9:25 p.m. PDT on July 2). The asteroid's distance from Earth at that moment will be 268,624-miles (432,308 km), or just 1.1 times the Moon's average distance from Earth"
As for astronomers and scientists, they plan to use NASA's Goldstone radar to measure asteroid's mass and its density. The latter is a key indicator of the composition and internal structure of the asteroid.
