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| Asteroid makes near-miss fly-by | Asteroid makes near-miss fly-by |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| An asteroid hurtled past the Earth on Friday in something of a cosmic near-miss, making its closest approach at about 1600 GMT. | An asteroid hurtled past the Earth on Friday in something of a cosmic near-miss, making its closest approach at about 1600 GMT. |
| The asteroid, estimated to be about 11m (36ft) in diameter, was first detected on Wednesday. | The asteroid, estimated to be about 11m (36ft) in diameter, was first detected on Wednesday. |
| At its closest, the space rock - named 2012 BX34 - passed within about 60,000km of Earth - less than a fifth of the distance to the Moon. | At its closest, the space rock - named 2012 BX34 - passed within about 60,000km of Earth - less than a fifth of the distance to the Moon. |
| Astronomers stressed that there had been no cause for concern. | Astronomers stressed that there had been no cause for concern. |
| "It's one of the closest approaches recorded," said Gareth Williams, associate director of the US-based Minor Planet Center. | "It's one of the closest approaches recorded," said Gareth Williams, associate director of the US-based Minor Planet Center. |
| "It makes it in to the top 20 closest approaches, but it's sufficiently far away... that there's absolutely no chance of it hitting us," he told the BBC. | "It makes it in to the top 20 closest approaches, but it's sufficiently far away... that there's absolutely no chance of it hitting us," he told the BBC. |
| The asteroid's path made it the closest space-rock to pass by the Earth since object 2011 MD in June 2011. | The asteroid's path made it the closest space-rock to pass by the Earth since object 2011 MD in June 2011. |
| Earlier estimates had put the asteroid's closest distance at as little as 20,000km, but studies by observatories overnight into Friday showed it would pass at a more comfortable distance. | |
| Although the asteroid was not visible to the naked eye, Dr Williams said that keen backyard astronomers had been busy getting a look. | Although the asteroid was not visible to the naked eye, Dr Williams said that keen backyard astronomers had been busy getting a look. |
| "We've had three sets of observations in the last few hours from amateur observers in the UK," he said. | "We've had three sets of observations in the last few hours from amateur observers in the UK," he said. |