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Nasa: Asteroid 2014 RC to safely fly past Earth Nasa: Asteroid 2014 RC flies past Earth
(about 7 hours later)
A small asteroid about the size of a house will fly past Earth on Sunday, US space agency Nasa says. A small asteroid about the size of a house is passing Earth, US space agency Nasa says.
The asteroid, 2014 RC, was due to pass over New Zealand at 18:18 GMT. It is about 60 ft (18 m) in size. At its closest point, the asteroid 2014 RC passed over New Zealand at 18:18 GMT on Sunday. It is about 18m (60ft) wide.
It will be about 40,000 km (25,000 miles) away, posing no danger to Earth, Nasa said. Nasa says it is about 40,000km (25,000 miles) away, posing no danger to Earth.
While it will be too small at that distance to see with the naked eye, amateur astronomers with telescopes may glimpse it as it passes, Nasa added. However, a suspected meteorite that landed near the Nicaraguan capital Managua on Sunday could have come from the asteroid, experts there said.
The asteroid was first discovered on 31 August, and, at its closest approach, will be about one-tenth of the distance from the centre of the Earth to the moon, Nasa said in a statement. The object caused an explosion and earth tremor, leaving a crater 12m (39ft) across and 5m deep near the city's airport.
Nicaraguan volcanologist Humberto Garcia said: "It could have come off that asteroid because it is normal for that to occur. We have to study it more because it could be ice or rock."
The asteroid that flew past Earth was first discovered on 31 August and, at its closest approach, was about one-tenth of the distance from the centre of Earth to the Moon, Nasa said in a statement.
It is expected to orbit near Earth again in the future.It is expected to orbit near Earth again in the future.
In February 2013, a meteorite of a similar size exploded over Chelyabinsk in Central Russia, injuring more than 1,000 people.In February 2013, a meteorite of a similar size exploded over Chelyabinsk in Central Russia, injuring more than 1,000 people.
Nasa currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass relatively close to Earth.Nasa currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass relatively close to Earth.