Viewing opportunity for amateur astronomers
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that a relatively large near‑Earth asteroid will make a close but harmless pass by our planet on Saturday. Its trajectory brings it close enough to be observable with simple optical equipment.
According to ESA calculations, the object's minimum distance from Earth will be roughly 10.5 million kilometres, eliminating any impact risk. At that range the asteroid will appear as a faint point of light, invisible to the naked eye but readily detectable with a small telescope or large binoculars.
Designated 2024 AB1, the asteroid is expected to become visible around 02:30 UTC in the constellation Taurus. Observers in the Mediterranean region and comparable latitudes will have the most favourable conditions, as darkness will already be established.
- Viewing window: approximately 02:30 UTC
- Equipment: 5‑10 cm telescope or 70‑mm binoculars
- Apparent magnitude: about 13.5 mag
Real‑time coordinates are available on the ESA website and through popular star‑map applications. Because the object moves quickly across the sky, a brief, repeated glance is recommended to capture its motion.