Asteroids, one Mount Everest-sized, will pass Earth this weekend. How to view from Boise
Amateur astronomists will be treated to an astronomical rarity this weekend when two asteroids fly near Earth.
Don’t worry; there’s no chance of either of them hitting us. The nearest one will pass between the Earth and the moon, while the larger asteroid’s closest point to Earth will be approximately 4.1 million miles away — about 17 times as far as the moon.
Both asteroids will be viewable with small telescopes, and clear skies in Boise should make them visible to those on the lookout.
Here’s what to know about both asteroids and when to view them.
An asteroid the size of Mount Everest
The larger asteroid that’ll pass by Earth this weekend is called Asteroid 2011 UL21, according to EarthSky. Asteroid 2011 UL21 is 1.4 miles wild, according to Space Reference, making it larger than 99% of all known near-Earth objects and roughly comparable to Mount Everest.
Asteroid 2011 UL21 passed closest to our planet on Thursday at around 2:16 p.m. but will be viewable from Earth between June 27 and 30. According to EarthSky, it’ll also appear at its brightest on Friday evening, but a telescope will still be required to spot it.
Due to the asteroid’s large size and speed, it should be easily viewable in a telescope if you look southward and just below the Virgo constellation and to the right of Libra.
The next time Asteroid 2011 UL21 will come this close to Earth is June 25, 2089.
An asteroid closer than the moon
The second asteroid that’ll come close to Earth this weekend is Asteroid 2024 MK. The asteroid was only recently discovered on June 16 and is just 400 to 840 feet in diameter, according to EarthSky.
The closest approach from Asteroid 2024 MK will be on Saturday at 7:50 a.m., but it’ll appear brightest the night before at the same time as Asteroid 2011 UL21.
At its closest, Asteroid 2024 MK will pass as close to Earth as 77% distance to the moon — about 290,000 km away, according to the European Space Agency. The asteroid can also be viewed by looking southward with a small telescope and closer to the horizon, according to EarthSky.
Viewing from Boise
The best chance to view either meteor will be away from the light pollution in the Treasure Valley. The website Light Pollution Map shows where exactly you can escape light pollution, but here are some other options close to Boise:
Dedication Point - Pull-off area near Celebration Park south of Boise with zero light pollution.
Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve - An area of land in Sun Valley where no lights are allowed.
Bruneau Dunes State Park - The area between Boise and Twin Falls was recently declared an International Dark Sky Park.
