WATCH: NASA chronicles close Earth flyby of asteroid
10:27AM Friday
February 15, 2013
February 15, 2013
Photos and videos of the Asteroid 2012 DA14.
Washington, D.C. — Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today released the following statement after reports of an unforeseen meteor exploding in the sky above Russia early this morning, on the same day that a large asteroid is scheduled to pass relatively close to Earth.
Chairman Smith: “Today’s events are a stark reminder of the need to invest in space science. Asteroid 2012 DA14 passed just 17,000 miles from Earth, less than the distance of a round trip from New York to Sydney. And this morning, a much smaller meteorite hit near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, damaging buildings and injuring hundreds.
Live now! Are you watching our live program on the close-approach of Earth by #asteroid #2012DA14? Tune in now: ustream.tv/nasajpl2
— NASA (@NASA) February 15, 2013
Asteroid 2012 DA14 to Safely Pass Earth
The flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14 on Feb. 15, 2013, will be the closest known approach to Earth for an object its size.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
