Giant Asteroid To Travel Closer To Earth Than The Moon Later Today

At 6:28 p.m ET today, an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will pass within 202,000 miles of Earth. That's closer than the roughly 240,000 miles between the Earth and the moon. However, scientist say don't sweat it, they're 100% positive it will not collide with the earth.

"We're extremely confident, 100 percent confident, that this is not a threat," said the manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program, Don Yeomans. "But it is an opportunity."

The asteroid named 2005 YU55 is being watched by ground antennas as it approaches from the direction of the sun. The last time it came within so-called shouting distance was 200 years ago.

Even though it's such a large asteroid, and it will come pretty close, it will still be pretty hard to see. NASA says you'll need 6-inch-or-bigger telescope and know exactly where to look to spot it.