North York Central Library Blog

Tomorrow is Halloween. Are you ready? Preparations for parties, costumes, candies and fun are all underway. But did you know an asteroid, larger than a skyscraper, will also be zooming by Earth tomorrow?

The asteroid, 2015 TB145 or ‘Spooky’, is approximately 290 to 650 meters wide. Spooky will travel at a speed of 35 kilometers per second. That’s 126,000 kilometers per hour. 1,260 times faster than the legal speed limit on most Canadian highways. 787.5 times faster than a Via Rail Train. 142 times faster than a commercial airplane. 75 times faster than the speed of the Earth's rotation. 28 times faster than a speeding bullet. Wow!

Rest assured, Spooky will not make contact with Earth. It will pass by Earth at a distance of 483,000 kilometers which is slightly further than the Moon.

Unfortunately, if you want to observe the asteroid you’ll need a telescope. Hopefully, there will be clear skies this time around, unlike during the Supermoon lunar eclipse.

Although Spooky won’t be making contact with Earth, I can’t guarantee other spooky things won’t. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

If you want to read more about asteroids, take a look at these books:

Are you ready for your Halloween party? Here are some ideas for great Halloween dishes:

Don’t have a costume? Don’t panic. Make your own. Here are some books on how to make costumes for kids:

Don’t worry, we have books for adult costumes, as well: