The Telegraph – by Tom Phillips
Scientists continued to assure nervous Earthlings the end was not nigh on Friday, as a meteorite event in Russia sparked a renewed bout of nervousness and speculation over an impending close-encounter with a 45m asteroid.
The giant rock – known as Asteroid 2012 DA14 – was identified last February by Spanish astronomers. Today it was hurtling towards Earth at around 17,400 miles per hour.
DA14 is expected to conduct a rare fly-by of planet earth at around 5pm GMT today, at its closest speeding over Indonesia around 17,200 miles from the Earth’s surface. The fly-over is set to be the closest on record for an asteroid of this size.
Scientists insist there is no risk DA14 will hit Earth and say even a collision with a satellite is highly unlikely.
“There is no chance it might collide with Earth,” a statement on Nasa’s homepage read on Friday.
So is this Russian meteor named, “Wormwood” by any chance? ALA Book of Revelations 8:11.