Giant 460ft asteroid flew close to Earth today and the next one could destroy the planet

Washington, Jan 14: A giant asteroid made a so-called 'Earth Close Approach' in the early hours of morning - as Nasa warned another rock could destroy the planet next century, between 2175 and 2199.

Dubbed 'Asteroid AG3', it measures around twice the wingspan of a Boeing 747 aeroplane, reports the Express.

NASA's scientists at the California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have tracked the asteroid down to a 2.18am GMT (UTC) flyby.

A NASA report on asteroid dangers reads: "Larger Near-Earth Objects greater than 140 meters have the potential to inflict severe damage to entire regions or continents.

The startling revelation comes just one month after the rogue asteroid was first spotted by radars on December 12, 2018. NASA did not expect the space rock to hit the Earth anytime soon but the asteroid's imposing size was a good enough reason to track it.