Asteroid Alinda makes historic close pass, visible to skywatchers
In the coming days, we can observe one of the most spectacular astronomical events. Asteroid 887 Alinda, with a diameter of about 4.2 kilometres, will come the closest to Earth in 100 years. In many places around the world, the phenomenon will be visible to the naked eye with binoculars.
Asteroid 887 Alinda, discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf on January 3, 1918, is among the largest objects approaching our planet. It has a diameter of about 4.2 kilometres. According to information provided by the Virtual Telescope Project, Alinda is among the five largest asteroids that will pass within a distance closer than about 15 million kilometres to Earth in the next 200 years. Importantly, asteroids with a diameter greater than about 1 kilometre constitute a small percentage of the population of so-called near-Earth asteroids (NEA).
Asteroid Alinda approaches Earth
The chemical composition of Asteroid Alinda has not been precisely determined, but it is classified as an object in the family of S-type or C-type asteroids. This means it may be made up of silicates or carbon. Alinda follows an orbit with high eccentricity, and its distance from the Sun varies significantly during one orbit. Its orbital period around the Sun is about 3.72 years.
Asteroid 887 Alinda will be visible in the sky for the next 10 days, particularly for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. It will be located in the constellations of Orion and Gemini, which will make it easier to locate. The object will reach its greatest brightness on January 12. The best conditions for observing Alinda will be at night, away from city lights, when the sky is dark and clear.
To help locate the asteroid, it's worth using astronomical applications or sky maps. Its passage can also be watched via live broadcasts. One of them is offered by the aforementioned Virtual Telescope Project. It is also worth noting that although asteroid 887 Alinda will be relatively close to Earth on a cosmic scale, its trajectory has been precisely predicted and poses no threat to our planet.
The next close approach of Alinda will occur on January 25, 2087, when the asteroid will pass at a distance of 0.16633 AU from Earth, which is about 24,870,000 kilometres.
