Asteroid 2012 DA14: Astronomers Insist Massive Rock Will Not Hit Earth After Russian Strike (VIDEO)

So About That Asteroid That 'Won't Hit The Earth'...

Astronomers insist that a massive asteroid set to pass terrifyingly close to the Earth on Friday will not strike the planet.

The 150-metre wide asteroid 2012 DA14 could destroy a site as large as London if it struck a direct hit.

And after a meteor struck eastern Russia earlier on Friday, injuring 400 people and resulting in spectacular YouTube footage, tensions will be high over fears that researchers calculations have been in error.

But it is not thought that the asteroids are linked, coming 12 hours and hundreds of thousands of miles apart.

The asteroid is expected to come within 17,200 miles of the Earth at about 7.25pm UK time.

That's closer than many communication satellites, and just one tenth the distance between the Moon and Earth.

"The flyby of 2012 DA14 is the closest-ever predicted approach to Earth for an object this large," Nasa said.

An animated image of the asteroid has already been captured by the Faulkes Telescope South in Siding Springs, Australia:

Close

What's Hot