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Astronomers See Rock Approach From Space

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From Times Wire Reports

A 100-foot-wide space rock hurtled past Earth only 26,500 miles away -- the closest asteroid ever detected by astronomers before it actually made its approach.

The harmless flyby occurred at 2:08 p.m. PST.

“We figure that on average, something this size hits the Earth every two to three years,” said astronomer Paul Chodas of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program.

“We’ve never detected them out in space, either approaching or receding. This is the closest.”

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