News

Actions

Using Science Museum kugel to explain asteroid flight by Earth

Posted at 1:31 PM, Feb 15, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-15 13:31:18-05

RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) – A school bus sized meteor crashed into a building in Russia Friday, injuring more than 1,000 people, but scientists say that meteor is not related to the asteroid that will pass close to Earth Friday.

The asteroidis known as 2012 DA14, and is 45 meters wide, roughly half as wide as a football field.

Astronomers say it’s not going to impact earth at all, but just how close will it get?

David Hagan, a scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia, has a visual way of explaining just how close the asteroid will get to earth using the museum’s kugel.

Watch the video above to see Hagan’s illustration, and find out just how rare it is for an asteroid this large to pass this close to earth.