Asteroid makes close pass by Earth

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 27 (UPI) -- An asteroid as big as a school bus passed close to Earth Friday but posed no threat to the planet, NASA astronomers said.

The floating space rock, tagged Asteroid 2012 BX34, came within 36,750 miles of Earth, or about a fifth of the distance between the Earth and the moon, said a Twitter post from Asteroid Watch, operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Near Earth Object Office.

The asteroids closest approach occurred about 10:25 a.m. EST, CNN reported.

Before its approach, astronomers had said there was no danger to anyone on Earth from the 37-foot diameter asteroid.

"It wouldn't get through our atmosphere intact even if it dared to try," an Asteroid Watch tweet said.