Asteroid will buzz Earth, miss by 17,150 miles - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

NASA scientists have worked overtime to lessen worries about an asteroid approaching earth Friday afternoon.

While space experts reiterate it's not possible for the asteroid to hit earth, they also say it's unlikely, but not impossible for it to impact satellite signals.

NASA says the asteroid will pass through a ring of satellites hovering about 22,000 miles above earth, but that it probably won't affect them.

Scientists say the asteroid is also not expected to impact global positioning satellites--including the GPS function on smart phones.

NASA say the asteroid measuring 150 feet wide and weighing 130,000 metric tons will be 17,200 miles at its closest proximity this afternoon when it whizzes by Earth at a speed of four-point-eight miles per second.