Asteroid heading for Earth (but don't panic)

PASADENA, Calif. - NASA says a newly discovered asteroid will have a close encounter with Earth on Monday, but there's no need to worry.

The space agency's Near-Earth Object Program Office says the small space rock - dubbed 2011 MD - will pass 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) above Earth's surface over the southern Atlantic Ocean at about 6:30 a.m. PDT (1330 GMT).

Though it will come close, it's not a distance record holder. Earlier this year, a tiny asteroid flew by even closer - within 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers).

Of the more than 8,000 Near-Earth objects that have been discovered to date, around 1,236 have been designated as potentially hazardous asteroids. This latest asteroid measures 33 feet (10 meters) long and was discovered this week by telescopes in New Mexico. Scientists say asteroids this size sail past Earth every six years.

The asteroid will briefly be bright enough that medium-size telescopes may be able to spot it. However, it will not be easy to see. The asteroid, which is relatively small, will be moving at a very fast clip. What's more, it's also expected to be very faint, making it hard to distinguish