Apollo Asteroid 2004 XP14, a potentially hazardous one, had a close encounter with Earth. The asteroid was traveling at 11 miles per second as it made its nearest approach to the planet. 2004 XP14 is one of the 700 celestial bodies known to pose a potential threat to the planet. The asteroid zipped past about 269,000 miles away from the Earth, a distance slightly farther from the moon. Three dozen asteroids are known to have flown closer to Earth in the past few years. Discovered in 2004 and estimated to be as wide as a half-mile based on its brightness, the asteroid according to David Asher from the Armagh Observatory "was probably big enough to wipe out a small country had it hit earth.' Scientists estimate 2004 XP14, which is one of a class of Apollo asteroids whose orbits cross that of the Earth will have 10 more close encounters with Earth over this century, but don't pose threat.