(WJW) — A large asteroid will reportedly zip past Earth on Wednesday afternoon during the autumnal equinox, which ushers in the fall season.
The asteroid, known as “2021 NY1,” is being tracked by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). NASA says it knows about the “vast majority” of larger asteroids and none pose a threat, though the space agency says it’s “always on the lookout.”
According to Newsweek, the asteroid may be about three times the size of the Statue of Liberty and will reportedly zoom past Earth at about 21,000 miles per hour on Wednesday, the first day of fall.
Newsweek reports the asteroid will still be 93,000 miles away, but it is in a category of asteroids whose orbit is very close to intersecting with the Earth’s orbit.
The asteroid is currently in the constellation of Centaurus, according to Sky Live, which tracks near-Earth objects.
The autumnal equinox also brought with it the Harvest Moon, which peaked Monday and lasted through Wednesday morning. It is the full moon that rises closest to the autumnal equinox — Sept. 22 — officially marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the moonlight of the Harvest Moon brightens the early evening when crews are harvesting their summer crops.