**Designated 2012 DA14, the space rock is approximately 150 feet (45 meters) across, and astronomers are certain it will zip harmlessly past our planet on February 15—but not before making history. It will pass within the orbits of many communications satellites, making it the closest flyby on record.
The giant rock—half a football field wide—was first spotted by observers at theLa Sagra Observatory in southern Spain a year ago, soon after it had just finished making a much more distant pass of the Earth at 2.6 million miles (4.3 million kilometers) away.
This time around however, on February 15 at 2:24 p.m. EST, the asteroid will be passing uncomfortably close—ten times closer than the orbit of the moon—**flying over the [eastern Indian Ocean near Sumatra](Maps | National Geographic, 100.59661102294923&z=5)"
WOWWWW…I wish I could see it…am sure ppl on that side of the world would be able to see a glimpse of it! Or maybe more than a glimpse…hopefully next time nothing is going to get closer than this!
