Politics & Government

Asteroid Will Buzz Earth Friday

It will be the closest flyby on record for such a big object

 

A 150-foot-wide asteroid will buzz the Earth today, the nearest known flyby for an object that size, Huffington Post and others report.

But although the megarock will come closer to Earth than many satellites, it will be at least 17,100 miles away when it zips past this afternoon, meaning there is no danger, scientists say.

Find out what's happening in Strongsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You can watch the asteroid 2012 DA14 flyby on SPACE.com today during a series of free webcasts. NASA will provide two webcast views of the asteroid, with several other professional and amateur groups joining in with other broadcasts, Space.com reports.

It will be at its closest at 2:24 p.m. EST, but we won't get much of a show around here because it will be daylight. Skywatchers in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia have a shot at seeing it, though.

Find out what's happening in Strongsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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