As reported by Gizmodo, the unexpected asteroid will make its closest approach on October 31, roughly 297,000 miles away from earth.

The ‘Halloween Asteroid’ or as I call it ‘The Great Pumpkin’ was discovered October 10th by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS telescope at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy. It’s roughly the size of a skyscraper and described by NASA to be moving at a speed that is “unusually high.” It sounds to me like this big guy will fit right in with the Halloween season. Lets hope it doesn’t come in for a closer look…

During its flyby the asteroid should be viable through a telescope in the Northern Hemisphere though astronomers warn that the moon’s brightness could be a negative factor. Astronomers believe that another asteroid this size won’t be seen again until August, 2027 so if you can see it you certainly should. I could be a once in a lifetime Halloween experience.