Astronomers: Connection Unlikely Between Russian Meteor Strike and Asteroid Flyby

Asteroid 2012DA14 coming within 20,000 miles of Earth this afternoon

A Russian meteor blast that has reportedly injured more than 500 people appears unconnected to the flyby Friday of an asteroid passing close to Earth, according to astronomers.

The 13-story-size asteroid, 2012 DA14, passes within 17,100 miles of Earth around 2:24 p.m. ET on Friday before heading off into space. The Russian meteor, likely about the size of a sports utility vehicle and weighing perhaps 11 tons, struck Russia's Chelyabinsk region, about 900 miles east of Moscow late Thursday, according to news reports.