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| Nasa: Asteroid 2014 RC flies past Earth | Nasa: Asteroid 2014 RC flies past Earth |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A small asteroid about the size of a house is passing Earth, US space agency Nasa says. | A small asteroid about the size of a house is passing Earth, US space agency Nasa says. |
| At its closest point, the asteroid 2014 RC passed over New Zealand at 18:18 GMT on Sunday. It is about 18m (60ft) wide. | At its closest point, the asteroid 2014 RC passed over New Zealand at 18:18 GMT on Sunday. It is about 18m (60ft) wide. |
| Nasa says it is about 40,000km (25,000 miles) away, and posed no danger to Earth. | |
| However, a meteorite that landed near the Nicaraguan capital Managua on Sunday could have come from the asteroid, experts there said. | |
| The object caused an explosion and earth tremor, leaving a crater 12m (39ft) across and 5m deep near the city's airport. | 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." | 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. | 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. |