A Newfound Asteroid Just Buzzed Harmlessly By Earth

An asteroid gave Earth a close shave Sunday (Aug. 28), just a day after astronomers first spotted the object. The Chelyabinsk asteroid was probably 65 feet (20 m) or so in diameter when it hit Earth's atmosphere, scientists have said. The asteroid has a more elliptical orbit than Earth does, coming as close to the sun as 0.76 astronomical units (AU) and getting as far away as 1.18 AU, according to the Minor Planet Center.