Giant asteroid to whizz past Earth

A giant asteroid will zip past Earth on Friday at the relatively close space distance of 5.8 million km and it’s not alone. Astronomers studying the asteroid on Thursday noticed that it is bringing along a passenger – its own moon.

Telescopes around the world began picking up distant images of the approaching 3.2-kilometer wide asteroid on Wednesday, and a day later observers soon realized that the space rock known as 1998 QE2 had another, much smaller rock – called a satellite – moving in an orbit around it.

It’s not all that rare for large asteroids to have company. About 16 percent of those hurtling through space near Earth have one or sometimes two moons.

The giant asteroid’s closest point to Earth will be Friday at 2059 GMT. Scientists estimate it will be at least another 200 years before it gets this close again.