Near-Earth Asteroids: Famous Space Rock Flybys and Close Calls (Infographic)

By Karl Tate
published

Diagram shows how close certain asteroids have passed by the Earth.
Several of the asteroids that have been spotted passing with the orbits of the moon and even Earth's communications satellites. (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Near-Earth asteroids are space rocks with orbits that bring them uncomfortably close to Earth. NASA and astronomers are constantly on the lokout for potentially dangerous near-Earth asteroids, space rocks that could potentially one day threaten the Earth. 

Several of the asteroids that have been spotted passing with the orbits of the moon and even Earth's communications satellites. Check out some of the most well-known asteroid flybys, in which asteroids have flown close by Earth without hitting our planet or exploding in the upper atmosphere.

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Karl Tate
Karl Tate
Space.com contributor

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork).  Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web.  He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.