NASA on alert amid fears Asteroid 2014-YB35 could crash into Earth

The 1,000-metre wide monster will hurtle terrifyingly close to the planet within days, sparking fears of an unprecedented disaster.The object called ‘2014-YB35’ is almost the same size as Ben Nevis and will skim the Earth on FRIDAY travelling at more than 23,000 mph.

Small meteorites often pass close by however one of this size is a once in 5,000-year occurrence, according to concerned astronomers.A collision with Earth would unleash an explosive force equivalent to more than 15,000 million tonnes – 15,000 megatons – of TNT.

The path of the asteroid is shown below in an animated ‘trajectory map’ released by NASA. It can clearly be seen only narrowly missing the Earth.Any impact would trigger devastating changes in the climate, earthquakes and tsunamis leading to the eradication of entire communities.

It would eclipse the destruction caused by the 1908 Tunguska Event which saw a 50-metre lump of extraterrestrial rock crash into Siberia.It flattened an estimated 80 million trees and sent a shock wave across Russia measuring five on the Richter scale.Experts warn it is only a matter of time before an asteroid capable of “lifer altering” damage collides with our planet.

Bill Napier, professor of astronomy at the University of Buckinghamshire, said there is a “very real risk” of a comet or damaging asteroid hitting Earth.