( CNN ) A big asteroid will fly by Earth on Monday , but NASA says do n't worry -- we 'll be safe . The asteroid is called 2004 BL86 . It 'll come about 745,000 miles ( 1.2 million kilometers ) from Earth , or about three times as far away as the moon at 11:19 a.m . ET , according to NASA . You 're wondering , does n't this happen all the time ? Yes and no . There are lots of asteroids that pose a threat to Earth -- about 550 as of January 22 . None are predicted to hit anytime soon . But asteroid 2004 BL86 ( yes , we also wish it had a catchier name ) is big -- about a third of a mile ( a half-kilometer ) in size . It will be the closest known asteroid this large to pass near Earth until 2027 , that 's when an asteroid called 1999 AN10 flies by us . `` While it poses no threat to Earth for the foreseeable future , it 's a relatively close approach by a relatively large asteroid , so it provides us a unique opportunity to observe and learn more , '' Don Yeomans , the recently retired manager of NASA 's Near Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , California , said in a NASA press release . This asteroid is also interesting because you might be able to see it with strong binoculars or backyard telescopes . That 's a rare opportunity for most of us . `` I may grab my favorite binoculars and give it a shot myself , '' said Yeomans . `` Asteroids are something special . Not only did asteroids provide Earth with the building blocks of life and much of its water , but in the future , they will become valuable resources for mineral ores and other vital natural resources . They will also become the fueling stops for humanity as we continue to explore our solar system . There is something about asteroids that makes me want to look up . '' NASA scientists will snap radar-generated images using the Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone , California , and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico . Yeomans retired January 9 after 16 years of tracking asteroids . Paul Chodas has been designated as the new manager . `` We should be getting some great radar images of this asteroid , '' Chodas told CNN . `` Radar would be the key to study the asteroid 's surface , give an idea of its shape , whether it has rocks and that kind of stuff on it . It 'll be really exciting . '' If you do n't have binoculars or a scope , you can watch from the comfort of your computer on The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 . The asteroid was discovered on January 30 , 2004 , by a telescope of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research ( LINEAR ) survey in White Sands , New Mexico . Want to know more about asteroids ? Check out NASA 's asteroid watch program or follow it on Twitter .
` ` We should be getting some great radar images of this asteroid , '' program manager Paul Chodas ##ky . On average , Asteroid 2004 ##A will pass within 750,000 miles of Earth . You should be able to see it with strong sunlight or backyard telescopes .