A small asteroid, estimated to be between 13 and 29 feet across – about the size of a three-story building – is set to fly past Earth this weekend at a distance of approximately 134,000 miles. This is a little over half the distance to the moon. The asteroid, designated 2023 MU2, will make its closest approach to our planet on Sunday at 7:19 p.m. ET. Skywatchers can catch a glimpse of this event via a livestream provided by the Virtual Telescope Project.

Discovered just last week, MU2's existence was quickly confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. While the proximity of this asteroid might seem alarming, such events are not uncommon. In fact, 2023 MU2 is just one of several asteroids predicted to pass by Earth this weekend. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has identified other near-Earth asteroids, including a car-sized one that came even closer on Friday at 77,000 miles and a bus-sized asteroid projected to pass within 162,000 miles on Saturday.

It's important to note that the image above is an artist's rendering and not an actual picture of 2023 MU2. The asteroid's close approach offers a reminder of NASA's ongoing efforts in planetary defense. Last year, the agency successfully executed the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), intentionally crashing a spacecraft into the Dimorphos asteroid to alter its trajectory. While Dimorphos posed no immediate threat to Earth, the mission served as a crucial test of our ability to deflect potentially hazardous asteroids in the future.

This groundbreaking achievement marked the first time humanity intentionally changed the motion of a celestial object and demonstrated the viability of asteroid deflection technology. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the significance of this mission, stating, "All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. This mission shows that NASA is committed to planetary defense and prepared for whatever the universe throws at us."