Don't panic: NASA says 2032 asteroid is "probably no concern"

AN ASTEROID WHICH had a near miss (in space terms) with earth two weeks ago is unlikely to hit earth when it makes a return visit in 2032.

NASA says that the asteroid, which came within 4.2 million miles of earth on 8 October, has a one in 63,000 chance of hitting the planet when it returns.

Named 2013 TV135, the asteroid is estimated to be around 400 metres in diameter.

It was discovered nearly a month after it came within 4.2 million miles of Earth.

NASA Near-Earth Object program manager Donald Yeomans said as astronomers observe and track it better, they will likely calculate that it has no chance of hitting Earth when it returns on 26 August 2032.

Although big, the asteroid is considerably smaller than the type that caused the dinosaur extinction.

NASA posted a “reality check” about the asteroid in response to claims by Ukrainian astronomers, who had warned that a collision could happen.

“To put it another way, that puts the current probability of no impact in 2032 at about 99.998 percent,” said Yeomans.

“This is a relatively new discovery. With more observations, I fully expect we will be able to significantly reduce, or rule out entirely, any impact probability for the foreseeable future.”

VIDEO: Asteroid glances by earth

Read: Asteroid to pass Earth at ‘remarkably close distance’