“Another Asteroid to pass close to Earth”: NASA

TNI Bureau: An asteroid, named 2012 DA14 will fly extremely close to Earth next week on 15^th February, according to NASA. But there is nothing to worry about as the celestial object is not going to collide with Earth’s surface, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed. Another asteroid 2013 AS27 was also discovered by amateur astronomer Gary Hug of Scranton. That asteroid may also pass closer to the earth.

The space rock 2012 DA14 will be about 45 meters across, that is of the size of an Olympic swimming pool and it will fly about 27,520 kilometers above the Indian Ocean with a speed of about 8 miles (13 km) per second. The speed is eight times as fast a rifle bullet moves. The time of the asteroid’s closest approach with the Earth will be at 2:24 pm EST (1924 GMT) in daylight in the United States, but it will pass through sky space of Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia in the darkness.

The speeding asteroid will be too small to be seen with the naked eye and only a professional can only catch glimpse of the celestial object’s movement with his telescope, as per experts’ view.  The asteroid will pass closer to Earth even closer than the communications satellites or TV satellites that ring the planet as per NASA.

2012 DA14 is one of the largest asteroids ever to come this much close to Earth and the same size celestial object is expected to come only in 1200 years. The said asteroid was discovered last year by a group of amateur astronomers in Spain.

Last time in the year 1908, comet exploded over a Siberian forest, damaging over 830 square miles or 2,150 sq km. However, much larger space rocks have crashed into Earth’s surface millions of years ago, causing disastrous damage.