Saturday morning at 10:30 am, a newly-discovered asteroid, 2012 BX34, passed by the Earth at a distance of only 59,000 km (36,750 miles) traveling at a speed of 32,000 KPH (20,000 MPH). The asteroid is about eleven meters (thirty-six feet) in length.
Although never posing any danger to the Earth, this object is an example of a class of space rocks which come close to our planet on their periodic trips around the Sun. NASA is currently searching for more of these NEO's (Near-Earth Objects) with their Asteroid Watch program.
Asteroids are left over bits of planetary material which have been floating around our solar system for over four billion years. Most are found in orbit, forming an “asteroid belt” between the planets of Mars and Jupiter.
Over 900 of these near-Earth objects (mountain-sized or larger) have so far been spotted.
According to Michael Harvanek of MIT, the chance of there being a larger undiscovered asteroid which poses a threat to Earth are “one hundred percent.” He also states that Friday's close encounter was the nearest miss (by far) that Earth should see for the next three months – during that time, no such object should come closer than twenty-five times the distance that 2012 BX34 came to the Earth.
Earth, on average, is hit by an asteroid or comet large enough to cause major damage (were it to hit a populated area) every few hundred years. The last time was on June 30, 1908 in Siberia. That morning, a large comet exploded above the forest there with a force estimated to be nearly fifteen megatons, or 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima. Trees were flattened for a distance of 70 kilometers (43 mi) by 55 kilometers (34 mi).
Harvanek stated that the next two important close encounters will be on Jan. 30, when 2012 BD14 (measuring about 20 meters or 65 feet across) will pass within 1.4 million miles of Earth (almost six times the distance to the moon) and on April 19, when 2007 HV4 will pass within 1.15 million miles of Earth (almost five the distance of the moon). HV4 is thought to be around eight meters (twenty-five feet) long.
Sixty-five million years ago, the mighty dinosaurs were wiped out in a blast from an asteroid, possibly the size of Mt. Everest, hitting the Earth near what is now Mexico.
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