Picture: NASA. Earth
An asteroid the size of a football pitch could hit earth in seven years’ time, warn astronomers.
The rock – estimated to be 40 to 100 metres wide – was picked up by a space telescope in Chile.
The South American team specializes in spotting objects that could hit our planet.
Currently, the asteroid is moving away from Earth at a speed of 38,000 mph.
But its orbit will move it close to Earth in Christmas 2032.
Astronomers reckon there is a 1.2 per cent of a direct hit.
The asteroid – codenamed 2024 YR4 – tops the European Space Agency (ESA) “hit list” which could possible strike Earth.
Telescopes around the world are now watching the asteroid as astronomers calculate if there is a viable threat.
ESA said that it was not currently possible to know where the asteroid would hit
Similar sized asteroids have collided with Earth before.
One possibility to prevent a similar strike is to crash a spacecraft into 2024 YR4 to knock it off course.
