Large asteroid zips past Earth

The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will swing closest yesterday, giving astronomers a rare chance for a good look at a space rock that formed at the dawn of our solar system. While in astronomical terms this marks a close encounter with the asteroid -- called 2001 FO32 -- Nasa says there is no threat of a collision with our planet "now or for centuries to come". The nearest it will get will be two million kilometres (1.25 million miles) away, according to the US space agency. That is roughly 5.25 times the distance of the Earth from the Moon but still close enough for 2001 FO32 to be classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid." The asteroid is estimated to be about 900 metres (3,000 feet) in diameter and was discovered 20 years ago. Astronomers are hoping to get a better understanding of the asteroid's size and a rough idea of its composition by studying light reflecting off its surface.