Asteroid Alinda makes closest Earth pass in a century
In the coming days, we can observe one of the most spectacular astronomical events. Asteroid 887 Alinda, with a diameter of about 2.6 miles, will be the closest asteroid to Earth in 100 years. In many places around the world, this phenomenon will be visible to the naked eye with binoculars.
Alinda (887), discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf on January 3, 1918, is one of the largest objects approaching our planet. It has a diameter of about 2.6 miles. According to information provided by the Virtual Telescope Project, Alinda is among the five largest asteroids that will pass within a distance closer than about 9.3 million miles to Earth in the next 200 years. Notably, asteroids with a diameter greater than about 0.6 miles represent a small percentage of the near-Earth asteroids (NEA) population.
Asteroid Alinda approaches Earth
The chemical composition of Asteroid Alinda has not been precisely determined, but it is classified as an object either in the family of S-type or C-type asteroids. This classification means it could be composed of silicates or carbon. Alinda follows an orbit with high eccentricity, and its distance from the Sun varies significantly during one orbit. Its orbital period around the Sun is about 3.72 years.
Asteroid 887 Alinda will be visible in the sky for the next 10 days, particularly for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. It will be located in the constellations of Orion and Gemini, making it easier to locate. The object will reach its greatest brightness on January 12. The best conditions for observing Alinda will be at night, away from city lights, when the sky is dark and clear.
Astronomical applications or sky maps can help locate the asteroid. Live broadcasts of its passage can also be watched. The Virtual Telescope Project offers one such broadcast. Although asteroid 887 Alinda will be relatively close to Earth on a cosmic scale, its trajectory has been precisely predicted and poses no threat to our planet.
Alinda's next close approach will occur on January 25, 2087. The asteroid will pass at a distance of 0.16633 AU from Earth, which is about 15,458,000 miles.
