(WAND) – An asteroid some people call the “death comet” will pass Earth after Halloween.
NBC News reports asteroid 2015 TBI45, which appeared to have a skull-like shape when scientists first observed it in October 2015, will pass by the planet on Nov. 11. It will appear at a distance of 25 million miles.
It’s not possible for the human eye to see the asteroid because its diameter is only 2,000 feet. Astronomers saw it with the Pan-STARRSI telescope from the top of the Haleakala volcano, which is on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
The network says NASA first called the rock the “Great Pumpkin” asteroid. It’s believed to be an extinct comet, meaning it’s what remains of a comet that lost its icy pieces after passing by the sun on its orbital path.
It is categorized as hazardous because of its size and its distance from Earth, according to The Arecibo Observatory, but astronomers don’t believe it poses any real risk.
The asteroid is expected to appear again in 2088 at a distance of 5.4 million millions.
