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 NASA said the asteroid, known as 2014 RC, poses no threat, though
at its closest approach it will be only about one-tenth the distance
to the moon, or roughly 25,000 miles (40,000 km) from Earth.
Communications and weather satellites are generally located in
orbits about 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above the planet.
"While this celestial object does not appear to pose any threat to
Earth or satellites, its close approach creates a unique opportunity
for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids," NASA
said in a statement released on Tuesday.
 With a diameter of about 60 feet (18 meters), Asteroid 2014 RC will
be too dim to see with the naked eye, but amateur astronomers with
small telescopes might be able to catch a glimpse as it zips by,
NASA said.
Asteroid 2014 RC is slightly smaller than the 65-foot (20-meter)
diameter asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, last year.
The shock wave from the explosion, estimated to have had 30 times
more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, blasted out windows and
damaged buildings. More than 1,000 people were injured by flying
glass and debris.
The same day as the Chelyabinsk asteroid explosion, another larger
asteroid flew as close as 17,168 miles (27,630 km) from Earth, well
within striking distance of the planet's communications and weather
satellites.
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Earth's latest celestial visitor was spotted on Aug. 31 by the
Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and confirmed the
following night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii.
The asteroid's closest approach will be over New Zealand at 6:18
a.m. on Monday (2:18 p.m. EDT/1818 GMT on Sunday), NASA said.
NASA currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass
relatively close to Earth.
(Editing by Sandra Maler)
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