--- title: Christmas Eve Asteroid Will Not Destroy Us All, NASA Says description: The nearly 4,000-foot asteroid that’s hurtling toward Earth on Christmas Eve will not hit the planet, NASA says. canonical: https://time.com/4161258/christmas-eve-asteroid/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-24T19:02:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:25.066Z article:section: Science og:title: Christmas Eve Asteroid Will Not Destroy Us All, NASA Says og:description: You can finish your last-minute shopping now og:url: https://time.com/4161258/christmas-eve-asteroid/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd2282e67857c9f76/698876d40b72e324ec6e76ca/christmas-asteroid.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: These images of an asteroid 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) long were taken on Dec. 17 (left) and Dec. 22 by scientists using NASA's giant Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. This asteroid will safely fly past Earth on Dec. 24, at a distance o og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Christmas Eve Asteroid Will Not Destroy Us All, NASA Says twitter:description: You can finish your last-minute shopping now twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd2282e67857c9f76/698876d40b72e324ec6e76ca/christmas-asteroid.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Christmas Eve Asteroid Will Not Destroy Us All, NASA Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: These Are the Elements of a Comet [Watch (HLS stream): These Are the Elements of a Comet](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zIq2B3Xf.m3u8) (0:50)  _Published 2015-10-23. These Are the Elements of a Comet_  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Dec 24, 2015 7:02 PM UTC  An asteroid will safely fly past Earth at a distance of 6.8 million miles on Dec. 24. An asteroid will safely fly past Earth at a distance of 6.8 million miles on Dec. 24. NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Dec 24, 2015 7:02 PM UTC Have no fear. The nearly 4,000-foot asteroid that’s hurtling toward Earth on Christmas Eve will not hit the planet, [NASA says](http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4807). The space agency issued a statement on Wednesday amid fears of an impending Armageddon, confirming the giant rock known as the “Asteroid 2003 SD220” will safely fly past Earth on Dec. 24 by at least 6.8 million miles. “There is no cause for concern over the upcoming flyby of asteroid 2003 SD220 this Christmas Eve,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for NEO Studies. “The closest this object will come to Santa and his eight tiny reindeer is about 28 times the distance between Earth and the moon.” The asteroid, however, will come closer to Earth in 2018 at a distance of 1.8 million miles, NASA said. 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