A video taken by NASA'S Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, California shows the giant asteroid 4179 Toutatis going through space near earth earlier this week on Wednesday Dec. 12 and Thursday Dec. 13.
On the day of the video Toutatis was about 4.3 million miles away from earth. NBC News affiliate WPTV.com reported that Scientists say that the asteroid never posed a threat to earth. They also reported that there is no threat of the asteroid hitting the earth in the next four centuries.
However, the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge Massachusetts said that Toutalis could pose a threat at some point in the earth's future, reported Space.com.
Space.com reported that the images have a resolution of 12 feet per pixel. The asteroid is 3 miles wide. Researches said that the asteroid is an irregularly shaped, elongated object that has multiple ridges and bright glints on the asteroid could indicate surface boulders.
If Toutatis ever did hit earth it could completely end humanity and other species on earth. Space.com reported that the asteroid which hit earth and was thought to have wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago was estimated to be 6 miles across.
Scientists say that anything hitting the earth which is at least .6 miles wide could have huge consequences on the earth such as altering the climate.
The asteroid Toutatis take a trip around the sun every four years and the next time it will come close to earth is November 2069. At this time it is estimated to fly by earth at about 1.8 million miles.
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