Asteroid Apophis is expected to buzz right past Earth Wednesday night

An asteroid named Apophis will be making a relatively close encounter on Wednesday night, when it's expected to pass within 9 million miles of Earth. That may not sound terribly nearby, but NASA scientists are keeping a watchful eye on the 886-foot-wide astronomical object as it makes its closest approach of the year. Their interest stems in part from a 2004 prediction, later deemed extremely remote, that Apophis was on track to slam into Earth in 2036. NASA remains intrigued and is considering Apophis "as a potential target for both robotic and crewed spacecraft missions." Actually, we're kind of intrigued now, too. [Source]

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