A 40,000mph asteroid the size of the Eiffel Tower is to fly past the Earth this week. Asteroid 2006 HV5, will pass as close as 1.5million miles.
The asteroid is large enough and close enough to be a once-a year phenomenon, according to NASA's Near-Earth Object Studies
It will be visible by telescope as it passes on Wednesday, April 26.
An asteroid is a small, rocky or metallic object that orbits the Sun. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt, a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. However, some asteroids can have orbits that take them closer to or farther away from the Sun.
Asteroids are believed to be the remnants of the early Solar System, when the planets were forming. Some asteroids are thought to be leftover planetesimals, the building blocks of planets, that never grew large enough to become a planet. Others may be fragments of larger bodies that were shattered by collisions.
Asteroids can range in size from just a few meters to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Some of the largest asteroids are considered dwarf planets, such as Ceres, which is the largest object in the asteroid belt.
Asteroids can pose a potential hazard to Earth if they collide with our planet. However, the vast majority of asteroids are not a threat and simply pass harmlessly by. Scientists study asteroids to better understand the history of the Solar System and to learn about the potential risks they may pose to Earth.
