People believe this asteroid could smash into Earth next month. What does NASA think? Read to find out

New York: Next month, an asteroid will make a close flyby of Earth – between 11,000 miles (17,000 kilometres) and 9 million miles (14 million kilometres) to be precise.

Scientists have given this wide range for the asteroid's flyby as the space body was tracked only for a brief period of time after its discovery in 2013.

Named 2013 TX68, the asteroid - 100-foot (30 meters) long - will pass close by Earth on March 5.

US space agency NASA has, meanwhile, said that Earthlings need not worry as the asteroid is not going to smash into us.

NASA's clarification has come amidst paranoia spreading among some on the Internet who still believe 2013 TX68 could hit the Earth.

According to the agency, no possibility exists of the object smashing into the Earth during the flyby next month.

But, this could become a possibility in 2017.

The asteroid will flyby Earth next time in 2017 and there's a remote - 1-in-250-million – possibility that it could hit Earth then.

"The possibilities of collision on any of the three future flyby dates are far too small to be of any real concern," reports quoted Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for NEO Studies (CNEOS), as saying. "I fully expect any future observations to reduce the probability even more."