Are you ready to witness a once-in-a-century celestial event? A massive asteroid known as (887) Alinda is getting ready to make its closest pass by Earth in 100 years. The exciting news is that you don’t need a high-powered telescope to see this cosmic visitor – a pair of binoculars will work just fine.

Discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf in 1918, (887) Alinda is quite a standout in the world of asteroids. With an estimated diameter of 4.2 kilometers, it’s about the size of Manhattan Island. Asteroids larger than 1 kilometer are rare, so this close encounter with (887) Alinda is truly special.

According to the Virtual Telescope Project, (887) Alinda is one of the five largest asteroids that will come closer to Earth than 15 million kilometers in the next two centuries. While this asteroid poses no threat to our planet, its unique orbit will bring it quite close to us this time around. In fact, it will be just 0.08220 Astronomical Units away from Earth – that’s about 12.3 million kilometers, or 32 times the average distance to the Moon.

For the next 10 days, (887) Alinda will be shining brightly in the sky, making it a perfect target for observation. If you miss the live feed provided by the Virtual Telescope, don’t worry – you’ll have another chance to see this cosmic giant on January 12 when it reaches its peak brightness.

Grab your binoculars or a small telescope and head outside, especially if you’re in the Northern hemisphere. Look for (887) Alinda in the constellations of Orion and Gemini – it’s sure to be a breathtaking sight. Such close encounters with large asteroids are a rare treat, so be sure to seize this unique opportunity.

After this close approach, we’ll have to wait until January 25, 2087, for (887) Alinda to swing by Earth again. So, don’t miss out on this chance to witness a celestial marvel up close and personal. Get ready to be amazed by the beauty of the cosmos!