A ‘Potentially Hazardous’ Asteroid is Flying by Earth This Weekend

As if 2020 couldn't get any more complicated, NASA is monitoring an asteroid possibly as big as the Empire State Building, which is on target to approach Earth on Saturday (June 6). Oh, great.

Asteroid 2002 NN4 is roughly 250-570 meters (820-1,870 feet) in diameter, reports NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). NASA also classifies it as "potentially hazardous." Even better.

While it sounds scary for something so large to be approaching Mother Earth, Ian J. O’Neill of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory calms our fears, telling USA Today, "2002 NN4 is a very well-known asteroid with a known orbit that will pass Earth at a (very) safe distance."

Thankfully, so long as all goes well and follows normal patterns, Earth will be spared. Then again, judging by how 2020 has gone so far, all bets are off.