NASA says Earth is safe from a rogue asteroid

Whilst we were all paying close attention to the Mayans and their calendar, we may have missed the news about a rogue asteroid hurdling towards Earth.

According to CNN, NASA has been tracking an asteroid that had a .02 percent chance of hitting the Earth in 2040.

“An analysis of the new data conducted by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shows that the risk of collision in 2040 has been eliminated,” NASA declared Friday.

The asteroid, which NASA has named ‘2011 AG5,’ is 460 feet in diameter and will get no closer to Earth than 553,000 miles – about twice the distance to the moon.

Phew! The asteroid will miss the moon too! Thankfully.