The asteroid named 2020 SX3 is moving towards Earth. According to the NASA blog, the bad news is that this space rock is between 38 and 86 metres wide, which is the size of three double-decker buses. The good news is, with no risk of a direct impact, it will swing by Earth. It will be travelling 10.88 kilometres per second which is about 40,000 kilometres per hour.

NASA reports that while the asteroid will travel 1.7 million kilometres away, it is close enough to be considered as a near-Earth (NEO) target. NASA explains, “NEOs are comets and asteroids that have been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that allow them to enter the Earth’s neighbourhood.” The asteroid will be closest to earth on October 8.

Blue Moon:

When two full moons descend in one calendar month, a blue moon occurs and this event takes place once every two to three years.For the first time in 19 years, the lunar phenomenon will take place on October 31. But a blue moon is a rare and strange occurrence that falls on Halloween. For the first time in 19 years, on October 31st, sky watchers will see a rare blue moon.

Until August 31, 2023, the unusual night sun will not be seen again and will not be seen again on Halloween until 2039. The lunar event does not shine blue, despite the name. If you were living in Western Australia, you might be able to see a blue moon, but anyone living in the central and eastern parts of Australia would miss it.