03 March 2023 , 07:00
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Three skyscaper-sized asteroids are hurtling toward Earth this week, with NASA's top experts claiming one is as big as a football stadium.
Three giant flying space rocks – called 2012 DK31, 2006 BE55, and 2021 QW – are flying past the planet, with one coming as close as just 2.2million miles to us.
The first one started moving past us on Monday, and is still within our sights today.
It measures about 137 metres in diameter, and is thought to be as wide as the height of a 40-floor skyscraper.
The second one started coming close to Earth last night, and is the closest of the trio.
Green comet last seen by Neanderthals 50,000 years ago to fly past earth tonight
That one flies by every four or five years.
NASA has labelled the three objects as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (Getty Images/iStockphoto)And the third asteroid will come near Earth on Friday. It will be about 250-feet in diameter, flying about 3.3million miles from the planet.
All three have worried NASA experts enough to label them as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids, which means that they could cause some serious damage to our planet should the trajectory change in some way - although that's incredibly unlikely.
Although NASA has mapped out the trajectories and collisions were not thought to happen for the next 200 years at least, any kind of movement could result in a potentially destructive new pathway for the rocks.
However, the Earth could be smashed into by an "unknown" number of invisible asteroids at any moment, an expert warned.
Richard Moissl, the European Space Agency's head of planetary defence said: “Asteroids the size of the Chelyabinsk meteor strike Earth roughly every 50 to 100 years.
“Injuries caused by airbursts or similar events could be prevented if people are informed of an oncoming impact and its predicted effects.
“With advance warning, local authorities would be able to advise the public to keep well away from windows and glass.
“New telescopic surveys are braving the sun's glare and searching for asteroids toward the sun during twilight.
“These surveys have found many previously undiscovered asteroids interior to Earth.”
Snow moon visible in UK tonight - best time to look into night sky