Scientists are currently tracking two asteroids that are due to zoom past Earth around Christmas time.
The space rocks, categorized as 216258 2006 WH1 and 310442 (2000 CH59), measure around 600 metres in width each, and will fly past our planet at speeds upwards of 27,000 mph, passing by us at a distance of 3.7 million miles, a mere whisker in cosmic terms. If they were to slam headlong onto Earth, they would cause catastrophic damage and potentially bring about the demise of millions of people worldwide.
Scientist are predicting that an asteroid impact in the future is ‘inevitable’. It’s only a question of ‘when.’