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2012 Da14 Asteroid

An asteroid will make its closest pass by Earth at around 2:24 pm ET, flying about 17,200 miles above Earth's surface. It's estimated to be about 150 feet (45 meters) across with an estimated mass of 130,000 metric tons.

Experts say it won't hit the planet, but its flyby is the closest ever predicted for an object this large, according to NASA. The asteroid, called 2012 DA14, will fly between Earth and the satellites that ring the planet 22,200 miles up.

Scientists think there may be 500,000 asteroids the size of 2012 DA14, but less than 1% have been located. Ref. CNN

Asteroid Da

Wow, an asteroid that is super close to the Earth! I hope these experts are right that asteroid is not hitting the planet because that thing can cause enormous damage to whatever area it is hitting on.

2012 Da14 Asteroid UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

Asteroid 2012 DA14 has safely passed by Earth, according to NASA. The closest approach was 17,500 miles above Indonesia.

"It has passed closest approach and this asteroid is going away," said Paul Chodus of the Near Earth Object team. The asteroid is estimated to be about 150 feet (45 meters) across with an estimated mass of 130,000 metric tons. Its flyby was the closest ever for an object this large, according to NASA. Ref. CNN

Asteroid Da

Glad to hear it passed by without doing any harm, also because it would fall just over my head.... This Country already pays its early toll to earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions. No need to add asteroids to the list.

Asteroid Da

You are in Indonesia? Were you able to see anything from it even if it was a spec of light moving? 150 feet really isn't that big but with that kind of weight and speed it could be like a nuke going off.

2012 Da14 Asteroid

Yes, I live in Indonesia, but I couldn't see anything. I don't know if such an object would be visible from the surface but is rainy season and the sky is almost always shrouded by clouds. Even the moon is not visible most of the nights.
The strange thing is that the media here didn't give any major importance to this fact so I knew it from the forums. Typical of local people: nothing is important until is too late.

2012 Da14 Asteroid

A shame, we got a lot of coverage on the one in Russia but this one was way bigger and if it entered our atmosphere it would of likely took out a large city. Anyone wondering why we spend so much on space exploration should take a note of how vulnerable we are in the bigger universe.

2012 Da14 Asteroid Sciences Education Art Writing & UFO

You are absolutely right, XenoPhil. Some people consider a big waste investing in space exploration: not only in the US, in Europe is just the same. I remember how much criticism followed the American project of a space shield, which included the idea of deploying orbiting laser stations. Ok, that was focused on the rivalry with the Soviet Union and the fear of a nuclear attack but it would be a first step towards the creation of a planetary defense against incoming objects.
Experience tells us that many useful inventions came out of military research.