A recently discovered asteroid had 'a very close encounter' with Earth

Asteroid 2023 BU will streak about 2,200 miles above the Earth's surface on Thursday night. Its path is seen here in an image from NASA's Scout impact hazard assessment system. The moon's path is in gray. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

There was no reason to panic — an asteroid shot past our planet harmlessly Thursday night, NASA says. The space agency says the object — the size of a large moving truck — made one of the closest approaches to Earth ever when it zipped over the Southern Hemisphere.

NASA described it as "a very close encounter with our planet."