A stadium-size asteroid to fly past earth on Thanksgiving. All you need to know

A stadium-sized asteroid, 2006 WB, is expected to pass close to Earth on November 26. NASA reports that the asteroid, roughly 100 meters in diameter, was first detected by the Catalina Sky Survey in November 2006. Radar observations at Arecibo shortly after its discovery indicated a possible rotation period of about 8 hours, though this is not precisely confirmed.

On its 2024 approach, 2006 WB will come within 0.0059 AU (2.3 lunar distances) of Earth, covering around 140 degrees of the sky. During this time, it will brighten to approximately 13th magnitude, allowing astronomers to collect lightcurves and perform vis-IR spectroscopy.

This asteroid is one of 40,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs), most of which pose no risk to Earth. Such objects provide scientists with crucial opportunities to study the solar system. For instance, the asteroid 2024 PT5 recently made headlines for temporarily orbiting Earth as a “mini moon” before being pulled away by the Sun’s gravity. Though not a true moon, this 10-meter asteroid’s brief stay offered insights into the behavior of celestial bodies influenced by Earth’s gravity.