5 Things You Need To Know About The Asteroid DA14 Passing Earth Today! (LIST)

If you haven’t heard, Earth is about to experience an encounter of the third kind.

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Scientists say that the asteroid known as DA14 won’t hit earth when it passes us today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a little more about it!

Like how about the flyby will come within 17,000 miles of our planet? Or about how it’s planning a return trip later this century? Or…just hypothetically, what happens if it hits Earth?

DETAILS: END OF DAYS! Asteroid Flying Past Earth Today 

If you’re reading this later today, then it probably hasn’t hit Earth. But at least you can share your new knowledge with your friends, if they care.

Faster Than A Bullet

When the rock whizzes by Earth, it will be going about five miles per second…which is about eight times as fast as a bullet from a rifle. Crazy! 

As Big As WHAT?

Get this…this asteroid ain’t no little thing! It’s about as big as the White House, which is about 150 feet wide. Wouldn’t want that falling on my house.

If It Were On Earth, It’d Cost What?

If the asteroid were on earth, the water and metals might be worth nearly $200 billion. That’s because it’s made of iron, magnesium, silicon and other metals. I know somebody out there is hoping it’ll fall in their yard!

But What If It Hits Us?

It’s not hitting us, even on its return trip, but if it does it could be devastating. In 1908, a space rock about the same size as DA14 struck Russia, leveling an area of about 800 square miles and releasing as much energy as 185 Hiroshima bombs. That means all of NYC would be gone. Yikes! 

It Ain’t Over!

DA14 will make its way back to Earth around 2046, when it will pass about 620,000 miles from our planet — that’s about three times the distance to the moon. 

And now with this knowledge you’re a legit astronomer. Get your science on! And thank me later.

SOURCE: Huffington Post