These images of an asteroid 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) long were taken on Dec. 17 (left) and Dec. 22 by scientists using NASA's giant Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. This asteroid will safely fly past Earth on Dec. 24, at a distance of (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR )
Asteroid experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says that there is no truth about multiple media reports about an asteroid that is passing by Earth on Christmas Eve, December 24 which reportedly say that this can cause earthquakes on the planet.
Asteroid 2003 SD220 will make its closest approach on Christmas Eve which is about 6.6 million miles or 10.6 kilometers from Earth, which is about 27 times the distance of the moon from Earth. At around 8:08 A.M. EST, the asteroid will arrive at its closest point, which will not be visible to the naked eye.
The asteroid is just about 1.24 miles wide and there is certainly a vast distance away from the planet, however, many news articles are circulating still claiming that this asteroid is potentially dangerous to the planet.
According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Near Earth Object (NEO) Office, these articles are false where the space agency refuted many of them in their official Twitter account, @AsteroidWatch.
NASA JPL's NEO responded how some articles are filled wtih fake and false information and there is certainly no danger from asteroid 2003 SD220. @AsteroidWatch tweeted, that the false stroies are found in tabloids and this is an important difference.
According to noted astronomer Phil Plait who writes for the Bad Astronomy blog on Slate, this asteroid will certainly not hit the planet, and there is also no way it can cause earthquakes. Asteroids of this size pass Earth relatively often and release no effects. Apart from this, when one does pass, a lot of conspiracy theories float around online on blogs and Youtube in which reveal a truly dubious nature.
If there is indeed a dangerous near Earth object that will hit into the planet or a dangerous asteroid for that matter, astronomers monitor them and keep records online for anyone's access, says Plait.
