SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Asteroid passes Earth, humans survive unscathed
Mar 5, 2014, 1:34 PM | Updated: 1:40 pm
This image shows the relative locations of asteroid 2014 DX110 and Earth on March 4, 2014. The asteroid will made its closest approach to Earth on March 5 at about 1 p.m. PST. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
In cased you missed it, an asteroid passed by Earth at about 1 p.m. No damage or injuries were reported.
Astronomers say it came closer to Earth than the moon – and they knew it would not pose any danger.
DX110 passed an estimated 217,000 miles from Earth. That’s approximately nine-tenths of the distance between the moon and Earth.
The asteroid is an estimated 45 to 130 feet across.
NASA says close approaches like this occur about 20 time a year, although DX110 is extra close.
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Online:
NASA: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/
Minor Planet Center: http://minorplanetcenter.net/
