 |
| Image showing mountains and our galaxy, the Milky Way. |
Look up tonight, space fans! The skies are offering a rare and educational treat. While dramatic asteroid flybys often make headlines, tonight's event is different. This isn't a newfound space rock, but an old friend—one that has fundamentally shaped our understanding of the solar system. And you have a front-row seat.
The guest of honor is asteroid 433 Eros, a name that might not ring a bell for the public but is legendary in astronomy circles. Discovered way back in 1898, this 16.89-kilometer-wide celestial body holds the distinction of being the first near-Earth asteroid ever found. But its fame doesn't stop there.
Eros is shaped like a cosmic peanut, and its unique form has been studied in incredible detail. In a landmark moment for space exploration, NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft not only orbited Eros in 2000 but performed a historic first landing on its surface in 2001. The mission sent back over 160,000 stunning images, revealing a world scarred with craters and littered with boulders, giving scientists their first close-up look at such an object.
"The data from NEAR Shoemaker was a game-changer," says Dr. Sarah Jenkins, a planetary scientist not affiliated with the event. "Eros became the prototype, the reference point we use to understand the composition and behavior of other asteroids, including more recent discoveries."
Tonight, this venerable space rock is paying our neighborhood a visit, passing at a safe and comfortable distance of about 60 million kilometers from Earth. While that sounds vast, on a cosmic scale, it's a close shave, making it visible with the right equipment.
And the best part? You don't need a NASA-grade telescope to witness it. A live stream will bring this celestial rendezvous directly to your screen. The Virtual Telescope Project, led by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, will be hosting a free public viewing session.
For all the details on timing and how to tune in, be sure to check out their official announcement page: Watch the rare encounter live on the Virtual Telescope Project's website.
The broadcast begins at 20:00 UTC, and the view promises to be spectacular. Eros will appear as a slow-moving white dot gliding dramatically past the majestic Andromeda Galaxy (M31)—a stunning contrast between a nearby solar system object and a galaxy 2.5 million light-years away.
If you prefer to try your own hand at spotting it, you can! With a clear, dark sky and a decent pair of binoculars or a small amateur telescope, you can aim towards the constellation of Andromeda and try to catch a glimpse of this historic asteroid as it makes its journey.
So, mark your calendars. It's not every day you get to see a living piece of space exploration history sail silently through the stars.
 |
| Image showing the location of 433 Eros and the Andromeda galaxy on November 19, 2025. |