<p> NASA scientists have generated the highest-resolution images to date of an Asteroid that will safely fly past Earth on the Christmas eve at a distance of 11 million km.<br /><br />Using the Deep Space Network's 230-foot antenna at Goldstone, California, the radar images of Asteroid 2003 SD220 were acquired when the distance to this near-Earth object (NEO) was narrowing from 12 million km to almost the flyby distance.</p>.<p><br />"The radar images data suggest that asteroid 2003 SD220 is highly elongated and at least 3,600 feet in length," said Lance Benner who leads NASA's asteroid radar research programme.<br /><br />"The data acquired during this pass of the asteroid will help us plan for radar imaging during its upcoming closer approach in 2018," he added.</p>.<p><br />Three years from now, the asteroid will safely fly past Earth again, but even closer, at a distance of 2.8 million km.<br /><br />The 2018 flyby will be the closest the asteroid will get to Earth until 2070, when it is expected to safely fly past our planet at a distance of about 2.7 million km.<br /><br />"There is no cause for concern over the upcoming flyby of asteroid 2003 SD220 this Christmas Eve," said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for NEO Studies at JPL.<br /><br />The closest this object will come to Santa and his eight tiny reindeer is about 28 times the distance between Earth and the moon</p>
<p> NASA scientists have generated the highest-resolution images to date of an Asteroid that will safely fly past Earth on the Christmas eve at a distance of 11 million km.<br /><br />Using the Deep Space Network's 230-foot antenna at Goldstone, California, the radar images of Asteroid 2003 SD220 were acquired when the distance to this near-Earth object (NEO) was narrowing from 12 million km to almost the flyby distance.</p>.<p><br />"The radar images data suggest that asteroid 2003 SD220 is highly elongated and at least 3,600 feet in length," said Lance Benner who leads NASA's asteroid radar research programme.<br /><br />"The data acquired during this pass of the asteroid will help us plan for radar imaging during its upcoming closer approach in 2018," he added.</p>.<p><br />Three years from now, the asteroid will safely fly past Earth again, but even closer, at a distance of 2.8 million km.<br /><br />The 2018 flyby will be the closest the asteroid will get to Earth until 2070, when it is expected to safely fly past our planet at a distance of about 2.7 million km.<br /><br />"There is no cause for concern over the upcoming flyby of asteroid 2003 SD220 this Christmas Eve," said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for NEO Studies at JPL.<br /><br />The closest this object will come to Santa and his eight tiny reindeer is about 28 times the distance between Earth and the moon</p>