NASA reveals close encounter with a small asteroid

While you were sleeping, Earth had a relatively close encounter with a small asteroid.

The space rock was on track to pass within about 44-thousand kilometres of Antarctica overnight.

NASA scientist Michael Kelley says that's ``pretty close'' as these things go.

There was never any chance the asteroid would hit the planet - but future ones might.

That's why NASA planned to use the flyby to run a sort of cosmic fire drill.