Closest asteroid misses Earth

A 45 meter-wide asteroid has hurtled safely past after coming within 27,000 kilometers of Earth on Saturday, making it the closest known flypast of a rock this size.

Asteroid 2012 DA14, as it’s called, came closer to the planet than many communication and weather satellites orbiting 35,000 kilometers up. The asteroid was too small to see with the naked eye even at its closest approach around 19.25 GMT, over the Indian Ocean near Sumatra.

The best viewing locations, with binoculars and telescopes, were in Asia, Australia and Eastern Europe. Even there, the most anyone could see was a pinpoint of light as the asteroid buzzed by at 28,000 kilometers per hour. Beijing (Xinhuanet)