An asteroid will ricochet off the North Pole on Friday. It will hit the ice and shoot back into space.
This is the first time an asteroid will bounced off earth. Scientists say that if the thickness and composition of ice matches the composition of an asteroid, than the asteroid will ricochet back into space.
“It’s an event that happens, only once every seven hundred years,” said cosmologist Dane Wilkins.
The asteroid, estimated to be about 96ft in diameter, was first detected on Wednesday.
The space rock – named 2014 BX34 – will hit the north pole after barely missing the Moon.
Astronomers stress that there is no cause for concern.
“Nobody will be hurt, unless you are walking on the polar ice cap. A polar bear MAY be hurt, but the chances are slim,” said Barry Willis, associate director of the US-based Minor Planet Center.
“It makes it in to the top 20 asteroid events in the history of the world,” Willis told WWN.
The asteroid’s path makes it the closest space-rock to pass by the Earth since object 2011 MD in June 2011.
Although the asteroid will not be visible to the naked eye, Dr Williams said that keen backyard astronomers could get a look.
“We’ve had three sets of observations in the last few hours from amateur observers in the UK,” he said. “They all confirm ‘the bounce'”.
If you are outside at 4pm EST today, you may catch a glimpse of the Asteroid Bounce.