Conspiracy theories online warn of a catastrophic collision Thursday. While the asteroid exists, there’s no hard evidence of a threat, or of the “scientist” sending the warning.
Passing by at a safe distance…
This could be the last story I ever write, if one conspiracy theory circulating online is to be believed.
Late last year word began to spread that a recently spotted large asteroid, 2016 WF9 , will smash into Earth as early as February 16, triggering a tsunami or destroying entire cities.
But NASA says the space rock’s closest approach to Earth will happen on February 25 at a distance of nearly 32 million miles (51 million kilometers).
“This pass will not bring it particularly close,” the space agency said in a statement in late December. “The trajectory of 2016 WF9 is well understood, and the object is not a threat to Earth for the foreseeable future.
