Asteroid 'twice the size of the shard' will pass Earth this weekend
14 September 2019, 10:50
An asteroid almost twice the size of shard will pass by Earth on Saturday night, scientists have said.
NASA has said that despite its size, the asteroid poses no danger to the planet.
The rock, which has been named asteroid 2000 QW7, is between 300 and 600 metres wide.
It will fly roughly three million miles from Earth at 14, 361 miles per hour, according to NASA's jet propulsion laboratory.
It is expected to pass by Earth at around 00:54 on Sunday morning.
NASA said it has been aware of the asteroid since 2000, and it has passed by Earth before on 1 September 2000.
It predicts that the asteroid will next pass our planet on 19 October 2038.
NASA’s chief, Jim Bridenstine, said more needs to be done to protect Earth from asteroid collision in the future.
He said: “This is not about Hollywood, it's not about the movies. This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know, right now, to host life - and that is the planet Earth.”
