Japan is bringing pieces of an asteroid to Earth this weekend. Here's how to watch online. - Space.com

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft is returning samples of asteroid Ryugu to Earth on Saturday (Dec. 5).

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is about to deliver a precious sample of asteroid dust to Earth this weekend and you can watch the event live.

The mission will swing by our planet to drop off a capsule full of regolith from asteroid Ryugu, before departing to visit another asteroid in 2031 on its newly extended mission.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will broadcast two key events overnight tonight and Saturday (Dec. 4-5) during which you can watch the return capsule make its way to the ground.

The first event is return capsule's separation from the main Hayabusa2 spacecraft, which will take place at 11:30 p.m.

The capsule will then reenter the Earth's atmosphere en route to its landing in Woomera in southern Australia, the same region in which predecessor mission Hayabusa delivered its asteroid sample in 2010. .

The spacecraft stowed the sample safely in October and is expected to return that to Earth in 2023.