BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- An
asteroid up to a half a mile wide and with the power to wipe out a small
country will miss the Earth Monday, according to media reports.
Asteroid 2004 XP14, discovered in December 2004, is one of
a class of "Apollo" asteroids, whose orbits cross that of the Earth.
The body has been classified as a potentially hazardous
asteroid (PHA) along with 782 known others.
Initial speculation by scientists predicted the
possibility of impact with Earth later this century, but that conclusion has
been ruled out, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
If XP14 did hit the Earth the effects would be
devastating. "It would probably be big enough to wipe out a small country," said
Dr David Asher, from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland.
The asteroid is expected to make its closest approach
to the Earth at 268,624 miles away, or 1.1 times the moon's average
distance from Earth - a near miss in astronomical terms.
It is not big enough to see with the naked eye, but may be
spotted by seasoned observers with moderate-sized telescopes. Enditem
(Agencies)
