Asteroid whizzes safely past Earth
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A girl observes the sky through a telescope in Valencia, looking for Asteroid 2012 DA14 which is expected to sweep close to Earth and will be in range for viewing by small telescopes, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Mr Albert Izard and Ms Miriam Lazaro, members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell prepare to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 pass near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Girls get ready to watch Asteroid 2012 DA14 pass Earth, outside the Astronomical Association of Sabadell in Sabadell near Barcelona on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell prepare to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 pass near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell look at a screen as asteroid 2012 DA14 passes near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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The passage of asteroid 2012 DA14 through the Earth-moon system, is depicted in this handout image from Nasa. A closely tracked asteroid, about 45m wide, whizzed safely past Earth on Friday, the same day a much smaller, previously undetected meteor hit Russia, injuring nearly 1,000 people. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A girl observes the sky through a telescope in Valencia, looking for Asteroid 2012 DA14 which is expected to sweep close to Earth and will be in range for viewing by small telescopes, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Mr Albert Izard and Ms Miriam Lazaro, members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell prepare to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 pass near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Girls get ready to watch Asteroid 2012 DA14 pass Earth, outside the Astronomical Association of Sabadell in Sabadell near Barcelona on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell prepare to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 pass near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell look at a screen as asteroid 2012 DA14 passes near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, on Feb 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
The passage of asteroid 2012 DA14 through the Earth-moon system, is depicted in this handout image from Nasa. A closely tracked asteroid, about 45m wide, whizzed safely past Earth on Friday, the same day a much smaller, previously undetected meteor hit Russia, injuring nearly 1,000 people. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
BOSTON (AFP) - A closely tracked asteroid, about 45m wide, whizzed safely past Earth on Friday, the same day a much smaller, previously undetected meteor hit Russia, injuring nearly 1,000 people.
Live images from a telescope at the Gingin Observatory in western Australia showed the asteroid looking like a white streak, moving across against a backdrop of black sky.
Astronomers said the object's speed and proximity made it a challenge to track, because telescopes had to be aimed precisely or risked missing it.
The asteroid, dubbed 2012 DA 14, passed around 27,000 kilometers above the Earth at the time of closest approach, about 2:25 pm EST (3.24am Singapore time), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) said.
