Asteroid 2012 DA14

On its next flyby, 15 February 2013, it will pass Earth at just 28 000 km – closer than many commercial satellites. "This is a safe distance, but it is still close enough to make the asteroid visible in normal binoculars," says Detlef Koschny, responsible for near-earth objects in ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) office.