A team of astronomers from Italy captured images of the asteroid that passed by Earth Wednesday at a distance one-third that between the Earth and the moon.

The rock, between 30 and 50 feet across, was not in danger of striking the planet and probably would have burned up in the atmosphere before hitting Earth's surface, if it had headed our way. The asteroid, dubbed 2010 AL30 was first spotted and announced Monday. It is the closest encounter Earth will have with any known object until 2024.

In 2029 an asteroid known as Apophis will come closer, only one-third the distance of Wednesday's asteroid to the Earth. The chances that this pass will send the asteroid through a "keyhole" that would then cause it to come back around and hit Earth in 2036 are currently estimated to be just one in 233,000. But Apophis is still the subject of a lot of discussion, and Russia has announced it is making plans to deflect it.

Images: E. Guido and G. Sostero

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