Small asteroid to zip harmlessly past Earth

[April 20, 2010]  PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- NASA scientists have updated information on the path of a newly discovered asteroid that is set to make a safe flyby past Earth.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena says the latest trajectory indicates that the closest approach for asteroid 2010 GA6 will be just slightly beyond the moon's orbit, about 270,000 miles from Earth. The time of its closest pass will be 7:06 p.m. PDT on Thursday.

NASA routinely tracks asteroids and comets that make close approaches to Earth. In January, another small asteroid made an even closer approach to Earth, passing within 76,000 miles.

[Associated Press]

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