A Near Earth Object (NEO) asteroid 2012 DA14 is due to make a very close pass of Earth on 15 February as it flies well within the Geostationary Orbital altitude of 36,000km at circa 1800-2200 GMT. Observers in Europe wanting to view the object should see it moving across Ursa Major (aka Great Bear, Big Dipper, Plough) constellation from 2100 GMT onwards.
For those fretful of any future asteroid threatening the planet, Sergei Molchanov of the Makayev State Rocket Centre, was reported to have revealed that Russia is working on a plan to defend the planet using nuclear warhead armed ballistic missiles. This plan is much like the plot of the much derided (at the time) science fiction film Meteor (1979). Truth imitates fiction yet again.
