Ted Delcima Asks: This is about the rumors going around about an astroid that will soon hit the earth. Especially Florida and cause a massive Tsunami and whip out the state. Have you seen anything in the sky that big or on its path to Earth?

 

Ted thanks for contacting us. First things First. There are thousands of professional and Amateur astronomers around the world spacifically looking into what we call NEOs or Near Earth Objects. The majority of the NEOs are accounted for and none pose any threat to our planet at this moment. Can all those telescopes miss something? Sure the explosion of a rock over Chelyabinsk in Russia was an example but those cases are very rare. A huge rock that can hit the ground and cause the huge level of  damage you mention is very hard to miss.

 

The one tip we can give you is dont trust rumors or Internet posts. They are usually wrong. There are places on the web that you can check to see the closest objects with their orbits. But again at this moment there is no asteeroid or comet that poses a threat to our home planet.

 

Check this article from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Caltech about the rumors that you have heard.http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4692

 

Thanks for contacting us and dont forget to Keep Looking Up!!