Watch as Last Week’s Asteroid Decides to Fly by Instead of Destroying Us All

That little, white pixelated bean spinning around above might look more like a bad 80s video game than the near-messenger of quick and devastating apocalypse, but that’s what happens when you’re taking shots 74,000 miles away from your subject. What you’re seeing is, in fact, 2012 DA14 at a resolution of around 13 feet per pixel over an 8 hour period just as it was mercifully passing our beautiful space marble by on the evening of February 15. More »

We’re Safe! The Asteroid Goes Away

We are safe! We knew we were going to be safe, but now we know we are safe. Which is a lot nicer, don’t you think? Now all the paranoids can relax, sit back, look at the sky and wave goodbye to 2012 DA14 as it leaves us at five miles per second. More »

Meteorite Explodes Over Russia, Panic Spreads

A meteorite has just exploded over Russia. This doesn’t feel good when you know that a 150-foot asteroid is about to fly by Earth—and you read about the actual effects of an impact if astronomers’ calculations are wrong. The Guardian is reporting that 474 people have been injured. More »

What Would Happen If the Asteroid Actually Hit Earth Today?

Astronomers are completely confident that the 150-foot-wide asteroid 2012 DA14 is not going to hit us, passing “only” at 17,200 miles from Earth—the closest encounter with an asteroid ever predicted. It’s a close call, but we will be safe. But then again, a meteorite just exploded in Russia. So what would really happen if their calculations are wrong? More »