Mars, the enigmatic Red Planet, has long puzzled scientists with a dramatic geological contrast between its hemispheres, known as the Martian dichotomy. The planet’s southern highlands tower five to six kilometers above the smooth,

Typically, asteroids - like the one depicted in this artist's concept - originate from the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars

Mars is home to perhaps the greatest mystery of the solar system: the so-called Martian dichotomy, which has baffled scientists since it was discovered in the 1970s.

The asteroid is estimated to be between 656 and 1,443 feet across, and will pass at 16 times the distance to the moon.

Alinda is one of the five largest near-Earth asteroids, coming closer than 9.3 million miles until the year 2200.

"it's not completely unusual for asteroids to be near the Earth," Gallagher said. "Our moon is about a quarter million miles away from the Earth. So something 7.6 million miles out would be many, many, many times father away from the Earth than the moon is. No cause for alarm."

The Alinda asteroid will be visible with binoculars in a 'once in a decade' event as it brushes past Earth, with its return to the planet not expected until 2087

Alinda, measuring 2.6 miles wide, will be visible this weekend. Stargazers can spot it using basic equipment or watch a livestream. Events like this occur once in a decade.

An asteroid smacking into Mars could eject debris high above the Red Planet. If Deimos and Phobos formed from debris resulting from an asteroid collision on Mars, they must be younger than the Red ...

The full moon will slide in front of Mars Monday evening in a rare planetary occultation. Occultations are like eclipses but instead of the Sun, it's a planet or a much more distant star being blocked by the Moon.

The UAE is developing a space craft to land on an asteroid belt beyond Mars.

You could also take a shortcut and find the planet Mars, which is also visiting Gemini now. But be prepared: Spotting asteroid 877 Alinda will be an Easter egg hunt. "It's a magnitude of +9 ...