NASA is watching a large asteroid that will sweep past Earth on Christmas Day.
The space rock, 501647 (2014 SD224), is on the US space agency’s “Close Approach” list and can be up to 210 meters wide.
That is as long as two football fields.
It is predicted to be within 3 million miles of Earth.
This may not seem like a risk at all, but in terms of space, that’s pretty close.
Any fast-moving space object that comes within about 4.65 million miles is considered “potentially dangerous” by cautious space agencies.
The space rock is expected to shoot past our planet on December 25.
It should be closest around 3:20 PM ET.
According to NASA’s Close Approach table, a much smaller asteroid called 2020 XY will also fly past much earlier in the day.
This asteroid can be up to 44 meters wide, but it should be much further away.
It is predicted to overshoot 3.6 million miles from Earth.
The larger and closer Asteroid 501647 (2014 SD224) is traveling at about 22,000 mph.
NASA has named both asteroids Near Earth Objects.
