By: Tariq Malik
Published: 10/12/2012 07:50 AM EDT on SPACE.com
An asteroid the size of a house will buzz Earth today (Oct. 12) but poses no risk of hitting our planet, scientists say.
The asteroid 2012 TC4 will pass Earth at a range of just 59,000 miles (95,000 kilometers) —about one-fourth the distance to the moon — when it makes its closest point today, NASA scientists said. The asteroid was discovered by astronomers on Oct. 4 and is about 56 feet (17 meters) across.
"Small asteroid 2012 TC4 will safely pass Earth Oct 12 at just .25 the distance to our moon's orbit," scientists with NASA's Asteroid Watch program wrote in a Twitter update this week. On average, the moon's orbit is about 238,000 miles (383,000 km).
The asteroid is large enough to be seen by backyard astronomers using a small telescope, the night sky events website Spaceweather.com has reported.
Near-Earth flybys of small asteroids like 2012 TC4 pass inside the orbit of the moon fairly often, Asteroid Watch scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., explained. On Sunday (Oct. 7), the 100-foot-wide (32-meter) asteroid 2012 TV also passed inside the moon's orbit, missing Earth by about 158,000 miles (255,000 kilometers).
NASA scientists and astronomers regularly watch the skies for potentially dangerous asteroids that could pose and impact threat to Earth. In fact, by a fluke of timing, a group of asteroid hunters announced Thursday (Oct. 11) that it is on track for a 2017 launch of a private space telescope dedicated to seeking out potentially dangerous space rocks.
Officials with the B16 Foundation said their plan to launch the Sentinel Space Telescope to scan for near-Earth asteroids has passed a major review milestone. The new space telescope is designed to search for asteroids from an observation spot near the orbit of Venus.
In September 2011, NASA announced that its surveys had found about 90 percent of the largest asteroids that could post a threat – space rocks the size of a mountain or bigger.
Asteroid 2012 TC4 is too small to pose a risk to Earth. Past estimates by astronomers said that an asteroid about 460 feet wide (140 meters) would cause widespread damage on the planet.
If you snap a photo of asteroid 2012 TC4 in the night sky using a telescope and would like to share it with SPACE.com, send images, comments and location info to managing editor Tariq Malik at: tmalik@space.com.
You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik and SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.