WATCH THE SKIES

City-sized asteroid to pass earth this spring

On September 29 an asteroid the size of a small city will make the closest known pass of such an enormous space rock anytime this century.
The orbit of Toutatis is pinned down with better precision than any other large asteroid known to cross Earth's orbit. Toutatis' 4-year trek around the Sun ranges from just inside the Earth's path out to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This spring, it will pass within a million miles of our planet, about four times the distance to the Moon, which is close by cosmic standards -- especially for an object that could cause global devastation.

[Toutatis' dimensions are about 4.6 by 2.4 kilometers. One of the most amazing things about Toutatis is its bizarre, non-principal-axis spin state. To see what this gigantic rock looks like as it tumbles through space, view this mpeg video. The name comes from an ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose name means father of the tribe. He was a god of war, growth and prosperity.]