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.