Though scientists say it poses no threat to us, an asteroid will pass between the Earth and its moon Wednesday.
The newly discovered asteroid known as 2014 DX110 will pass closest to Earth at 5:07 p.m. Eastern, according to a CBSNews.com report, when it whizzes by at 33,000 miles per hour. But don’t worry – even when the asteroid is closest to Earth, it will be 217,000 miles from our planet.
For comparison, the distance between the Earth and moon is about 239,000 miles, so if we should be worried about 2014 DX110 hitting anything, it’s more likely to crash into the moon than splash into one of our oceans. NASA’s Near Earth Object Program estimates there’s a one in 10,000,000 chance of 2014 DX110 hitting Earth, according to USA Today.
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The asteroid is estimated to be between 45 to 130 feet across, and while close calls occur frequently, it’s less rare for one to pass between Earth and the moon, the Associated Press reports.
“In the last year, 21 small asteroids ranging in size from 1 to 30 meters (3 to 98 feet) have come closer to Earth than this,” said NASA Planetary Science Division spokesman Lindley Johnson told USA Today.