House-sized Asteroid 2023 MU2 to pass the Earth on June 25: Know how and where to watch live streaming

Get ready for an extraordinary celestial event happening this Sunday (June 25). The near-Earth asteroid 2023 MU2 will pass remarkably close to our planet, within 134,000 miles (215,000 kilometers) or approximately 60% of the average distance to the moon. Rest assured, there is no need to worry as this space rock poses no threat to Earth or our spacecraft.

According to the NASA/JPL Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), asteroid 2023 MU2 measures between 13 and 29 feet (3.9 and 8.8 meters) in diameter, akin to the size of a house or a three-story building. The closest approach is expected at 4:49 am IST on June 25.

Curious about witnessing this incredible phenomenon? Tune in to the free telescope livestream provided by the Virtual Telescope Project, led by renowned astronomer Gianluca Masi based in Rome. Join the livestream at 4:49 am IST on Sunday, and catch the flyby of asteroid 2023 MU2. Watch it live on the Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel or visit their website.

This recently discovered asteroid, 2023 MU2, was confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center on June 22, just days after its detection on June 16. Remember, such encounters are not unusual, as numerous space rocks approach Earth weekly without causing harm. For instance, today, we had the car-size asteroid 2023 MW2 passing by at a distance of only 77,000 miles (124,000 km).

While media headlines might portray these events as dangerous or alarming, there is no cause for excessive concern. CNEOS has diligently tracked over 32,000 near-Earth asteroids, and none pose a threat to our planet within the next century, as confirmed by NASA.

However, it's essential to acknowledge that, given a sufficiently long timeline, an impact cannot be entirely ruled out. The 2013 explosion of a near-Earth asteroid over Chelyabinsk, Russia served as a powerful reminder of the importance of detecting and defending against such objects in our cosmic neighborhood.