Asteroid could smash hit satellites in 2013

An asteroid will move closer to near-Earth that it could smash hit by a satellite in February next year.

Scientists of the La Sagra Observatory in Spain discovered asteroid 2012 DA14 from several weeks ago, National Geographic reported.

Paul Chodas, an astronomer Agency Aerospace America (NASA) said the meteorite with a width of about 45 m. The trajectory is very similar in the 2012 DA14 Earth's orbit. So, in theory, it often came close to Earth and can be pierced a communications satellite in orbit.

"The possibility is very low, but we can not eliminate it," said Chodas.

The latest models show that the asteroid will come very close to Earth on Monday 02/15/2013 and may go through several orbits of artificial satellites. However, the International Space Station will not be threatened, Chodas said.

Orbit of 2012 DA14 is constantly changing and now scientists can not determine its location. NASA identified 2012 DA14 probability that pierced the earth in the next decade about 0.031%.