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February 2013: On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth only 17,200 miles above our planet's surface. There's no danger of a collision, but the space rock, designated 2012 DA14, has NASA's attention.
"This is a record-setting close approach," says Don Yeomans of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at JPL. "Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, we've never seen an object this big get so close to Earth."
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's historic asteroid flyby:
NASA TV
NASA TV will carry live commentary starting at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday February 15.
INTERACTIVE
Our Eyes on the Solar System team created a nifty simulation that allows you to ride along on DA14 as it cruises past our home planet.
ASTEROID RESOURCES
MORE ON DA14
Last Updated: 21 February 2013
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