Asteroid Coming Close Friday: Don't Worry, We're Safe

Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Another asteroid is headed our way - the second this week - but there's no need to worry.

The newly discovered space rock will pass within 39,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) of Earth on Friday afternoon. That's less than one-fifth the distance to the moon.

Designated 2018 CB, the asteroid is an estimated 50 feet to 130 feet (15 meters to 40 meters) in size, possibly bigger than the one that exploded over Russia in 2013.

NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies says asteroids this size usually don't come this close - just once or twice a year.

It will be the second time this week an asteroid buzzes us. On Tuesday, an asteroid passed within 114,000 miles (184,000 kilometers), slightly more than halfway to the moon.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.