A large asteroid just zipped between Earth and the Moon
A large asteroid just zipped between Earth and the Moon Astronomers missed the asteroid until it was nearly on top of them, but the space rock has already passed harmlessly by. An unexpected asteroid named 2019 OK just flew between Earth and the Moon, hammering home the need for continued improvements in both finding and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids. Pixabay Earth had a close encounter this morning when Asteroid 2019 OK sped by at 1:22 GMT, at a speed of nearly 55,000 miles (88,500 kilometers) per hour. The closest it came to Earth was just under 45,000 miles (72,500 km), a safe distance, but still much less than the distance between the Earth and Moon. Astronomers only noticed the space rock within the past few days, when astronomers at SONEAR Observatory in Brazil picked it up. Because it’s such a newcomer, there’s still a lot astronomers aren’t sure about, from its orbit to its size, which ranges between 187 to 426 feet (57 to 130 met...