‘Giant asteroid possibly on collision course with earth’ CNN Story Not True; NASA Confirms It’s False

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‘Giant asteroid possibly on collision course with earth’ CNN Story Not True; NASA Confirms It’s False
Zachary Stieber
5/27/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

A story posted on CNN claiming that a giant asteroid is “possibly on collision course with Earth” was later taken down by the company with a clarification that it’s not true.

The story led off by saying that “If astronomers are right, all life on this planet could be extinguished in less than 30 years from now. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have detected a large object the size of Manhattan possibly on a collision course with Earth.”

The story claimed that the asteroid could have a potentially lethal encounter with Earth on March 35, 2041.

The story quickly circulated online, getting over 233,000 views and over 23,000 shares.

But CNN later took down the story, posting in its place. 

“NASA has confirmed via email that this story is false. A spokewoman for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory says that the largest object detected by NEOWISE measures 3 km in diameter and poses no risk to Earth. The iReport has been removed.”