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The asteroid KW4 is about to miss Earth shortly after midnight on a so-called "near approach to Earth" trajectory. NASA's asteroid trackers are gearing up for space to be projected beyond our home planet at around 12:05 UK time, in the wee hours of Sunday, May 26th. The asteroid, which measures between 1.3 and 3 km, could be absolutely devastating to the impact. As a result, NASA nicknamed the asteroid a potentially dangerous asteroid or PHA.
And to make things even more complicated, space rock will hit the planet at a blistering 21.51 km per second or 48,116 mph.
Fortunately, we do not expect the asteroid to enter the planet tonight with brute force.
NASA predicts that the asteroid KW4 will miss Earth by about 0.03464 astronomical unit (AU).
A single astronomical unit measures about 149 million km, which is the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
READ MORE: Find out how often asteroids hit Earth
In this case, the asteroid KW4 will miss the Earth of about 5.28 million km.
Joe Rao, an astronomer from the Old Farmer's Almanac, said in a statement: "An unusual" double asteroid "is now approaching the Earth and will pass us on Saturday, May 25th.
"Cataloged in 1999 as KW4, this asteroid consists of a major space rock of just under one kilometer wide, with an associated asteroid of a width of 0.3 kilometers – which some call a "Asteroid moon" – in orbit.
"This asteroid, named 1999 KW4, is an Aten type space rock, which means that its orbit brings it between the orbits of Venus and the Earth."
READ MORE: NASA unveils its formidable mission of asteroid redirection
The asteroid KW4 completes a Sun orbit about every 188 days or every 6.18 months.
During this time, the asteroid often crosses the Earth's solar object.
The last time the asteroid approached Earth fell in the afternoon of May 27, 2018.
And the next flyby of the asteroid ends on May 26, 2020 and May 31, 2021.
READ MORE: Watch the main asteroid DESTROY Earth in a violent accident simulation
Mr. Rao said, "Some hard-working amateur astronomers will take the initiative and try to locate 1999 KW4 shortly after dark Saturday night.
"But most of us who are inexperienced observers with unsophisticated equipment may not be able to spot it. It's just way too weak.
"Even at its brightest level, it will be about 12 times lower or 250 times weaker than the weakest star you can see from your eye without help. And it is at that moment that he will be closer to the Earth. "
The asteroid KW4 was discovered on May 20, 1999 by the Linear Asteroid Research Instrument (Lincoln) near Lincoln Land.
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