SPACE — A massive space rock will fly past Earth in February — the largest that's expected to come close to the planet this year. <br /><br />Newshub reports that asteroid 2002 AJ129 is 1.1 kilometers wide, making it slightly longer than the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.<br /><br />The asteroid is hurtling through space at a speed of more than 107,000 kilometers per hour, 15 times faster than the hypersonic X-15 aircraft.<br /><br />It is set to pass within 4.2 million kilometers from Earth on February 4, 2018, a distance NASA considers 'potentially dangerous' despite a low chance of a direct hit.<br /><br />If an asteroid this size were to collide with Earth, studies suggest debris could cloud up the atmosphere, blocking the sun and causing temperature drops that could trigger a mini ice age.<br /><br />NASA is currently incapable of intercepting an asteroid beelining straight for Earth. That technology won't be ready until after 2024.<br /><br />Best keep your fingers crossed that no giant space rocks decide to come knocking til then.
