This weekend is a rare opportunity to see a space rock the size of a city block go for a joy-ride past the much bigger space rock we call Earth.
The snappily named asteroid 2002 AM31 will cruise by our planet this Sunday, coming within 13.7 lunar distances, or about 3.2 million miles.
If you consider yourself a bit of a NEO (near-Earth object) groupie, you can watch the whole spectacle online at the Web site of the Slooh space camera (really a network of robotic telescopes around the globe). Webcasts are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. PT and will feature live commentary and feeds from telescopes in Arizona and the Canary Islands.
While the Minor Planet Center in Massachusetts has labeled 2002 AM31 as a "potentially hazardous asteroid," there's no chance of it actually impacting Earth and ruining your Sunday asteroid-watching cookout.
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