Asteroid 152637 (1997 NC1), larger than the Empire State Building, has already made its safe closest approach to Earth today.

Asteroid 152637 (1997 NC1), larger than the Empire State Building, has already made its safe closest approach to Earth today. It flew by at around 7:14 a.m. EDT on June 27 with no risk of impact.The asteroid measures roughly 2,500–5,400 feet across (NASA estimates ~3,100 feet), making it significantly taller than the 1,454-foot Empire State Building. It passed about 1.6 million miles from Earth, more than six times the distance to the Moon, while traveling at ~20,000 mph.Close approaches by asteroids of this size are relatively rare, occurring only every few years. Although the bright Moon made observation challenging, some observers away from city lights may have spotted it with binoculars or small telescopes.This harmless flyby serves as a good reminder of why space agencies continuously track near-Earth objects, most are safe, but vigilance helps prepare for any potential future threats.Did you know? 🎓