Large asteroid and comet to fly safely past Earth April 19

A large near-Earth asteroid will fly safely past Earth on April 19, reports NASA. It is roughly 2,000 feet in size and has a reflective surface, causing it to become visible in the night sky after April 19.

Discovered May 2014, the asteroid known as 2014 JO25will approach Earth from the direction of the sun. The last time a large asteroid passed by Earth was Toutatis, a 3.1-mile asteroid. The next close encounter of a comparably sized asteroid will occur in 2027.

The comet PanSTARRS (C/2015 ER61) will also make its closest approach to Earth. It is now visible in the dawn sky with binoculars or a small telescope.