Earth vibrations dip as humans stand still in coronavirus fight. Those are still relatively tiny compared to the space rock that killed the dinosaurs, which measured an estimated 16 kilometres wide. Experts said it would be visible to amateur astronomers through a telescope, but it was never anticipated to come any closer than about 6.3 million kilometres to Earth. Astrophotographers across the U.S. captured some incredible views of bright Lyrid meteors lighting up the night sky. After photographing the Lyrids on Sunday (April 19), March went out for another photoshoot during the peak on Wednesday morning (April 22). Times Internet Limited. A few days before the peak, astrophotographer Andrew March of Rockport, Massachusetts captured several Lyrid meteors in the early morning sky. NASA's about to scoop up some asteroid dirt on the space rock Bennu. Photographer Andrew March captured this image of the Lyrid meteor shower over Rockport, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2020. Pentagon officially releases 3 leaked ‘UFO’ videos. The half-a-kilometre wide space rock will be fleeting at 31,608 kph. Receive news and offers from our other brands? Related: The best Lyrid meteor shower photos of all time. New York, The photo was taken at approximately 4:45 a.m. local time on April 22, 2020. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! The Virtual Telescope Project in Europe set up a livestream for those who wanted to watch the latter part of the fly-by on Wednesday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Asteroid (2019 UO) will be the first asteroid to visit Earth in 2020 on the top 10 list. ​Just one day before Easter, Asteroid 363599 (2004 FG11) will be making its approach to Earth at 88,164 kph on 11 April 2020. Newly discovered planet is the closest yet to a second Earth, Pentagon officially releases 3 leaked ‘UFO’ videos, Earth vibrations dip as humans stand still in coronavirus fight. Not only is Asteroid 153201 (2000 WO107) one of the biggest space rocks to shoot past Earth in 2020 but it’s also one of the fastest. They joked that the asteroid appeared to have brought its own “face mask” in the middle of Earth’s coronavirus pandemic, based on a curved white line that appeared during their scans. Astronaut Kate Rubins drew from photo to design new space station patch, NASA astronaut Christina Koch reflects on 1-year anniversary of first all-woman spacewalk. The color of a meteor's trail depends on its chemical composition. “This asteroid poses no danger to Earth and will not hit,” astrophysicist Brad Tucker at the Australian National University told the Guardian. READ MORE: Coming in for a summer visit, Asteroid 388945 (2008 TZ3) will zoom past Earth on 10 May 2020. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, It began the approach just before 6 a.m. The annual Lyrid meteor shower put on an exceptional show for skywatchers this year, with the new moon setting the stage for gorgeous "shooting stars" to prance across the dark night sky. An asteroid was supposed to hit Earth in September — but astronomers can’t seem to find it, The last major asteroid to hit Earth destroyed 500 square kilometers — and it could have been much worse, For an asteroid to wipe out humans, it has to be bigger than the one that killed the dinosaurs. READ MORE: “It is one catastrophe we won’t have,” Tucker said. Also visible a bit farther to the left is the planet Mars. It’s scheduled to past the planet on 10 January at 33,840 kph. While photographing the Lyrid meteor shower from Fripp Island, South Carolina, early Wednesday morning (April 22), astrophotographer Tina Pappas Lee captured this view of a meteor that appears to be heading toward the planets Jupiter and Saturn as it passes through the constellation of Aquila, the eagle. Visit our corporate site. Earthlings who live another couple of decades might get a chance to see 1998 OR2 come even closer to our planet in the future, according to NASA data. This planetary trio made a rare close approach last week and are now slowly moving farther apart each night. © 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. NASA runs simulation involving Armageddon-style asteroid impact. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Asteroid 136795 (1997 BQ) comes in second but it’s still a kilometre wide. How to see the best meteor showers of 2020. ET, and was expected to remain relatively close by throughout the day. Please refresh the page and try again. Please read our Commenting Policy first. Another kilometre sized space rock, Asteroid 136795 (1997 BQ), will … On April 29, an asteroid estimated to be between 1.1 and 2.5 miles wide will fly by Earth. It’s also faster at 42,048 kph and will be flying marginally closer to Earth than 52768 (1998 OR2). Anne Virkki, head of Planetary Radar at the Arecibo Observatory, and Asteroid 1998 OR2 pose with their masks. Times Syndication Service. NY 10036. He added that the giant rock wouldn’t have wiped out all life on Earth, even if it had been on a collision course with the planet. That’s when they spotted a potential city-killing asteroid approaching Earth just a few days before it flew past at a distance much closer than the moon. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. The asteroid will be going at 90,252 kph at it makes its approach on 29 November. "I have been outside every clear night, and it is amazing how much clearer the night sky is recently, and how I don't see a single plane in the sky during a 2 hour star trail," Berkes told Space.com in an email. NASA has said that it would take an asteroid larger than one to two kilometres to alter Earth’s global climate, and one larger than five kilometres to cause a mass extinction event. April 22, 2020, before dawn, the Lyrids The Lyrid meteor shower – April’s shooting stars – lasts from about April 16 to 25. Robbins captured this sparkling view of a Lyrid meteor on Wednesday (April 22) at approximately 4:30 a.m. local time, from about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Prescott, Arizona. WATCH: NASA ran an exercise in 2019 to practise for real asteroid impacts. March took this "selfie" with a meteor crossing the Milky Way. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. Photographer Andrew March took this selfie during the Lyrid meteor shower on April 19, 2020, in Rockport, Massachusetts. However, the asteroid-tracking system isn’t perfect, as astronomers discovered late last year. Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this photo of an early Lyrid meteor with star trails on April 12 from his backyard in Maryland. The asteroid is called 52768 (1998 OR2), and it was first spotted in 1998. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. Plan B? OFFER: Save 45% on 'All About Space' 'How it Works' and 'All About History'! On April 29, it will pass within 3,908,791 miles of Earth, moving at 19,461 miles per hour. The space agency says the asteroid is still considered “potentially hazardous” because slight changes in its orbit could present a danger to the Earth at some distant point in the future. But don’t worry: you’ll have gone the way of the dinosaurs by the time that happens. But it's not expected to collide with our planet, thankfully. That’s roughly 16 times the distance between our planet and the moon. And, without any bright moonlight to outshine these so-called "shooting stars," viewing conditions for this year's Lyrids were the best in years. (Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Robbins). Thank you for signing up to Space. Only a few meters short of being a kilometre wide, Asteroid 163373 (2002 PZ39) will be third biggest asteroid to approach Earth on 15 February 2020 — one day after the world’s Valentine’s celebrations. First-time meteor photographer Jason Robbins, who has spent years pointing cameras at birds by day, decided to try something new and photograph the night sky in hopes of capturing a "shooting star" during the peak of this year's Lyrid meteor shower. Photographer Timothy Wenzel created this composite of six Lyrid meteor photos he captured from Midland, Michigan, in the early morning hours of April 22, 2020. Here’s a full list of the biggest asteroids that will be whizzing past Earth in 2020. “While it is big, it is still smaller than the asteroid that impacted the Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs,” he said. (Image credit: Courtesy of Timothy Wenzel). Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! A meteor crosses in front of the Milky Way in this photo captured by Andrew March in Rockport, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2020. A faint Lyrid meteor is barely visible to the right of the Milky Way galaxy shortly before dawn on April 22, 2020, in this photo captured by Andrew March in Rockport, Massachusetts. ET. Here are some of the most amazing views captured by Space.com readers. The biggest asteroid to fly past the planet in 2020 will be the massive four-kilometre wide 52768 (1998 OR2) at 31,320 kilometres per hour (kph). Lyrid meteors, which are "crumbs" of material from Comet Thatcher, often appear pink and green, whereas other showers like the December Geminids produce turquoise-colored trails. Another kilometre sized space rock, Asteroid 136795 (1997 BQ), will be flying past the planet in May. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. A Lyrid meteor crosses the Milky Way galaxy in this photo taken by Tina Pappas Lee on Fripp Island, South Carolina. Although the Lyrids peaked this week, the meteor shower has been active since mid-April, and a few Lyrid meteors will continue to grace the skies until the end of the month. If you look closely, you'll see the meteor's pink-and-green tail. 2 small asteroids zip by Earth closer than the moon today, 'Nose art' from two Mercury astronauts' capsules resurface at auction. (Image credit: Courtesy of Tina Pappas Lee). Asteroid (2012 XA133) will be the ninth-largest space rock to hurtle past the planet in 2020. READ MORE: