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Graphic of what a asteroid of this type would look like - Nasa/ESA/M A Garlick/University of Warwick/University of Cambridge =================================================================================================================== An asteroid will flyby Earth on Christmas Eve and should be visible with a telescope so long as skies are clear. The 2003 SD220 asteroid was discovered in 2003 and its 24 December appearance will be the first of five encounters with our planet over the next 12 years. Very little is currently known about the asteroid, other than it is travelling at around five miles per second and has an absolute magnitude of around 16.9. Initially scientists had thought...

A 1.5 mile-wide asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on Christmas Eve. Asteroid 2003 SD220, also known as asteroid 163899, will pass our planet from 6.7 million miles (11 million km) away - 28 times farther than the moon. Despite its huge distance, reports have circulated the asteroid could cause earthquakes and trigger volcanoes on Earth. But experts have dismissed these claims, saying that there is no scientific evidence to back up these theories. Nasa says the space rock will make a return to Earth in 2018, but it will pose no threat to our planet...