On March 21, an asteroid nearly the size of the Golden Gate Bridge will sweep by Earth at an astonishingly fast pace.
Asteroid 2001 F032 will be travelling so quickly that the usual telescopes may not be able to detect its presence. The asteroid is comparable in length to the famous Bay Area bridge but slightly shorter at approximately .6 miles in diameter.
Its fast speed makes it one of the fastest asteroids in the solar system. Luckily, there is no chance that the speedy space rock will impact the planet.
The asteroid measures approximately 1,300 to 2,230 feet wide and is travelling at nearly 80,000 miles per hour.
2001 F032 will pass close enough to Earth to be considered a "near Earth" asteroid. Scientists are excited at the rare opportunity to observe a large space object that has existed since the early days of the universe.
“As 2001 FO32 makes its inner solar system journey, the asteroid picks up speed like a skateboarder rolling down a halfpipe, and then slows after being flung back out into deep space and swinging back toward the sun,” NASA said.
When visible, the asteroid will be relatively low in the southern sky. Using a telescope you may be able to spot it as it flies through the southern constellations of Scorpius and Sagittarius. You will need at least an 8-inch diameter lens.
After it has passed us by, the next chance to see the Asteroid 2001 F032 will occur in 31 years.