NASA revealed that a 1,000-metre wide asteroid will make a relatively close but harmless pass by Earth on Friday. It called ‘2014-YB35’ is travelling at more than 23,000 mph in space.
Though it is not unusual for small meteorites to whizz past Earth, the size of the asteroid poses a real threat with fears of any impact triggering earthquakes and tsunamis. It is forecast to pass within 2.8 million miles – a tiny distance in astronomical terms – of Earth on Friday, according to NASA’s Near Earth Object Programme.
It may be from between 500 metres and 1km wide, with 990 metres the most likely. The object was first spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey at the end of last year with astronomers expected to be closely watching its progress this week. However, experts warn it is only a matter of time before an asteroid sets buzz to Earth.
