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Asteroids Threaten Extinction in the Next 96 Years

By Peter R | Update Date: Sep 06, 2014 04:32 PM EDT

A slew of asteroid impacts between 2017 and 2113 could destroy Earth, new data reveals.

According to Business Standard, data from NASA indicates that 400 asteroid strikes in the 96-year duration could destroy the planet. The shocking revelation was reportedly based on observational data over the last 60 days, Yahoo News reported. The data also reportedly revealed that a monster asteroid could ram into the planet in 2020. The size of most asteroids are said to be around 100 meters but some could be larger.

"The atmospheric chemistry would be upset by cutting out sunlight up on impact. It would be like a nuclear winter and could last for tens of thousands of years. These comets are 200-300km (186 miles) in diameter they are sheer monsters and could sterilise the earth if we are hit by one," Express quoted University of Buckingham astronomy expert Bill Napier. 

Napier pointed out that the planet faces a greater threat from smaller asteroids which number in tens of thousands bombarding it. Earlier this year another asteroid 2014 EC zipped past earth from close quarters. Its existence went unknown until it had passed the planet.

Amidst all the talk of asteroid impacts in the distant future, one asteroid said to be the size of a whale, will zoom past the planet Sunday evening.

Daily Mail said this one, similar in size to the meteorite that hit Chelyabinsk in Russia last year. The Chelyabinsk meteorite partially disintegrated up on entering earth but not without causing some damage. Sunday's asteroid, 2014 RC, will come as close as 40,000 km to the planet, much closer than 2014 EC's approach. The hurtling 2014 RC, nicknamed Pitbull, was only discovered a week ago but does not pose any threat to life on earth. About 1,400 potentially hazardous asteroids are currently being tracked by NASA. 

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