Quarter-mile-wide asteroid coming close to Earth
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This image made from radar data taken in April 2010 by the Arecibo Radar Telescope in Puerto Rico and provided by NASA/Cornell/Arecibo shows asteroid 2005 YU55. The asteroid, bigger than an aircraft carrier, will dart between the Earth and moon Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 - the closest encounter by such a huge rock in 35 years. But scientists say not to worry. It won't hit. (AP Photo/NASA/Cornell/Arecibo)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.>> An asteroid bigger than an aircraft carrier will dart between the Earth and moon next Tuesday.
That’s the closest encounter by such a huge rock in 35 years.
But scientists say not to worry. It won’t hit.
The closest approach will occur Tuesday evening Eastern time when the asteroid passes within 202,000 miles of Earth.
Scientists have been tracking the slowly spinning asteroid since its discovery in 2005.
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Online:
NASA: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch
Purdue University: http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth
