Watch the top headlines of the hour: - Trump's social media shares tank - US: Hamas remains barrier to hostage deal - Protesters shut down Golden Gate Bridge - US NSA postpones India visit - Baltimore collapse: FBI opens criminal probe

Trump's social media shares tank | Baltimore collapse: FBI opens criminal probe

Watch the top headlines of the hour: - IDF: Israel will respond to Iran attack - US: Hamas remains barrier to hostage deal - Protesters shut down Golden Gate Bridge - Trump in court for Hush Money trial

US: Protesters shut down Golden Gate Bridge | Hamas remains barrier to hostage deal

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge gets nets to prevent suicide deaths. Watch to know more.

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge gets nets to prevent suicide deaths

Planet Earth may have harboured and nurtured life for millions of years but there have been catastrophic events in the past. Some of them were (literally) out of this world. An asteroid that struck Earth millions of years ago wiped off the majority of the life on the planet in one stroke. It spelt doom for dominance of dinosaurs and paved way for mammals to dominate the world.

Just because another asteroid of this power hasn't struck Earth since does not give a reason to relax. Such celestial rocks often zoom past Earth and space agencies around the world keep a close eye.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that a huge asteroid is coming into Earth's neigbourhood. This asteroid has been named 418135 (2008 AG33).

This asteroid has been labelled potentially hazardous asteroid. It is 450 metres wide. This makes it comparable to Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It has been classified as Apollo-class asteroid.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/presence-of-alien-tech-on-earth-scientist-wants-to-probe-interstellar-object-lying-in-the-pacific-ocean-473699">Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean'</a>

The asteroid is set to make its closest approach on Thursday (April 28).&nbsp;

Luckily for all life on Earth, the asteroid is going to zoom past the Earth. It packs enough punch to cause widespread destruction on Earth if it was to hit Earth head-on.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

It will fly past the Earth at a distance of 3,240,000 kilometres. This may sound a lot but in astronomical terms, it is too small a distance.

Planet Earth may have harboured and nurtured life for millions of years but there have been catastrophic events in the past. Some of them were (literally) out of this world.

Planet Earth may have harboured and nurtured life for millions of years but there have been catastrophic events in the past. Some of them were (literally) out of this world. An asteroid that struck Earth millions of years ago wiped off the majority of the life on the planet in one stroke. It spelt doom for dominance of dinosaurs and paved way for mammals to dominate the world. Just because another asteroid of this power hasn't struck Earth since does not give a reason to relax. Such celestial rocks often zoom past Earth and space agencies around the world keep a close eye. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that a huge asteroid is coming into Earth's neigbourhood. This asteroid has been named 418135 (2008 AG33). This asteroid has been labelled potentially hazardous asteroid. It is 450 metres wide. This makes it comparable to Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It has been classified as Apollo-class asteroid. Also Read | Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean' The asteroid is set to make its closest approach on Thursday (April 28). Luckily for all life on Earth, the asteroid is going to zoom past the Earth. It packs enough punch to cause widespread destruction on Earth if it was to hit Earth head-on. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × It will fly past the Earth at a distance of 3,240,000 kilometres. This may sound a lot but in astronomical terms, it is too small a distance.

Asteroid the size of Golden Gate Bridge is approaching Earth

A huge a kilometer-sized asteroid will fly past Earth later this month, according to NASA's asteroid tracker, marking the first flyby of an asteroid of this scale in 2022. &nbsp;

If an asteroid collided with Earth, it could cause a global disaster, but this is fortunately unlikely.

This asteroid, designated 7482 (1994 PC1), is expected to have a diameter of at least 1 kilometre and a width of up to 1.3 kilometres.

That's more than four times the size of the Eiffel Tower and 3.5 times the size of the Empire State Building in New York City.&nbsp;

The asteroid is classified as an Apollo-class asteroid, which means that its orbit is broader than Earth's and that its orbital path around the Sun may cross our planet's.

Furthermore, NASA has classified it as a potentially hazardous asteroid.&nbsp;

An impact, on the other hand, is exceedingly unlikely.

According to NASA's projections, 7482 (1994 PC1) will approach Earth on January 18 at a distance of roughly 1.98 million kilometres.

The Earth's distance from the moon is around 384,000 kilometres, which is more than five times less.

This confirms NASA's previous projections, which stated that the Earth would be safe from asteroid strikes within the next 100 years.&nbsp;

However, if the Earth had not been so fortunate, the consequences could have been disastrous.

According to a study from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science's Davidson Institute of Science, an asteroid with a diameter of more than 140 metres would release an amount of energy a thousand times greater than the first atomic bomb if it collided with Earth.

Something even bigger, like the asteroid Apophis, which is almost 300 metres wide, might wipe out an entire continent.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A huge a kilometer-sized asteroid will fly past Earth later this month, according to NASA's asteroid tracker, marking the first flyby of an asteroid of this scale in 2022.

A huge a kilometer-sized asteroid will fly past Earth later this month, according to NASA's asteroid tracker, marking the first flyby of an asteroid of this scale in 2022. If an asteroid collided with Earth, it could cause a global disaster, but this is fortunately unlikely. This asteroid, designated 7482 (1994 PC1), is expected to have a diameter of at least 1 kilometre and a width of up to 1.3 kilometres. That's more than four times the size of the Eiffel Tower and 3.5 times the size of the Empire State Building in New York City. The asteroid is classified as an Apollo-class asteroid, which means that its orbit is broader than Earth's and that its orbital path around the Sun may cross our planet's. Furthermore, NASA has classified it as a potentially hazardous asteroid. An impact, on the other hand, is exceedingly unlikely. According to NASA's projections, 7482 (1994 PC1) will approach Earth on January 18 at a distance of roughly 1.98 million kilometres. The Earth's distance from the moon is around 384,000 kilometres, which is more than five times less. This confirms NASA's previous projections, which stated that the Earth would be safe from asteroid strikes within the next 100 years. However, if the Earth had not been so fortunate, the consequences could have been disastrous. According to a study from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science's Davidson Institute of Science, an asteroid with a diameter of more than 140 metres would release an amount of energy a thousand times greater than the first atomic bomb if it collided with Earth. Something even bigger, like the asteroid Apophis, which is almost 300 metres wide, might wipe out an entire continent. (With inputs from agencies)

Asteroid the size of golden gate bridge to pass by earth on January 18

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year.

Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres.

Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence.&nbsp;

The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 
1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day.

A bigger asteroid will shoot past Earth on January 3, as the relatively mountainous 2003 AF23, measuring an impressive 220m in diameter or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers.

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year. Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year. Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres. Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence. The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day. A bigger asteroid will shoot past Earth on January 3, as the relatively mountainous 2003 AF23, measuring an impressive 220m in diameter or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers.

A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns

Alain Robert, the free climber dubbed the "French&nbsp;Spider-Man", on Monday scaled the Tour Total, a 48-storey&nbsp;skyscraper&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/minor-clashes-break-out-at-paris-during-protests-against-pension-reforms-272159">Paris</a>, to demonstrate&nbsp;support&nbsp;for workers striking against the government's&nbsp;pension&nbsp;reform plans.

Robert, 57, stood with both arms aloft after reaching the summit of the 187-metre (613-foot) high tower, which stands in the French capital's business district, La Defense.

<img alt="Alain Robert scales the Tour Total skyscraper in support of the anti pensions reform strikers" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b353d8f5-9cf0-4ef5-b72c-7d3a96737c3a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_15.jpg" /> 
[ Alain Robert scales the Tour Total skyscraper in support of the anti pensions reform strikers (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

He has climbed more than 100 structures, including the Golden Gate Bridge in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/san-francisco-woman-hires-plane-makes-website-and-offers-7000-reward-in-search-of-stolen-dog-269289">San Francisco</a> and the world's tallest building, the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai. This is the ninth time he has climbed the Total tower.

Robert often climbs without permission and has been arrested on numerous occasions. He climbs without a harness, using only his bare hands, a pair of climbing shoes, and a bag of powdered chalk to wipe off the sweat.

For more than a month, France has been mired in strikes and protests over President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/despite-weeks-of-protests-macron-raises-retirement-age-in-pension-reforms-legislation-273472">Emmanuel Macron's</a> push to streamline the&nbsp;pension&nbsp;system.

Alain Robert, the free climber dubbed the "French Spider-Man", on Monday scaled the Tour Total, a 48-storey skyscraper in Paris, to demonstrate support for workers striking against the government's pension reform plans.

Alain Robert, the free climber dubbed the "French Spider-Man", on Monday scaled the Tour Total, a 48-storey skyscraper in Paris, to demonstrate support for workers striking against the government's pension reform plans. Robert, 57, stood with both arms aloft after reaching the summit of the 187-metre (613-foot) high tower, which stands in the French capital's business district, La Defense. [ Alain Robert scales the Tour Total skyscraper in support of the anti pensions reform strikers (Courtesy: Reuters) ] He has climbed more than 100 structures, including the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the world's tallest building, the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai. This is the ninth time he has climbed the Total tower. Robert often climbs without permission and has been arrested on numerous occasions. He climbs without a harness, using only his bare hands, a pair of climbing shoes, and a bag of powdered chalk to wipe off the sweat. For more than a month, France has been mired in strikes and protests over President Emmanuel Macron's push to streamline the pension system.

French 'spider-man' Alain Robert scales Paris skyscraper in support of pension strikes