Asteroid fly-by Earth, meteor injures 1,200 in Russia

Just a day after a meteor strikes Russia, an asteroid half the size of a football field flies past the earth. Asteroid 2012 DA14, measuring 45 meters in diameter, goes 27,000 km above the earth — the first time an asteroid of its size came this close to earth. The event is captured on camera by Mark Vornhusen, who shot about 300 photographs of the asteroid at about 3:30 am Saturday in Makati. Astrobiology professor Dr Custer Deocaris says he hopes the event could push Filipinos to be more aware of celestial objects to avoid unnecessary panic about doomsday scenarios.

Watch the asteroid fly-by here: http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/21937-video-asteroid-flies-by-earth

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