Asteroid 2005 YU55

This coming November 8, Asteroid 2005 YU55 will whip past Earth just inside the orbit of the Moon. In cosmic terms, that's a very near miss. While there is little to no chance of a collision this year, 2005 YU55 is one of the asteroids astronomers are watching closely; at some point down the road, it could pose a threat to Earth. It is big enough to do extraordinary damage if it hit us. Massive enough to have pulled itself into a sphere, 2005 YU55 is 1,300 feet across. While not a civilization killer, a body that size could wreak havoc on a regional scale. Astronomers are planning to use the November approach to study the asteroid in unprecedented depth and detail, employing some of the most advanced astronomical tools on the planet in an attempt to thoroughly understand a body humanity might have to deflect away from Earth someday.