1,300-foot wide asteroid to sail near Earth in 2032

An artist's illustration of a large asteroid headed for Earth. (ESA)

A large asteroid has been discovered zipping passed Earth that astronomers say is dangerous and will return on August 26, 2032.

"A [1,200-foot] asteroid is threatening to blow up the Earth," Russian vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin, in charge of his nation's space research, wrote on his Twitter account.

"Here is a super target for the national cosmonautics."

The asteroid was discovered by astronomers in the Ukraine on Saturday who promptly named it 2013 TV135.

The astronomers said they discovered the asteroid was approaching Earth at a potentially dangerous trajectory, RIA Novosti reported. They calculated the potential collision date -- with a force as powerful as two thousand atomic bombs -- but acknowledged that the odds of an impact are 1 in 63,000.

NASA said in a statement, named "A reality check" that it was 99.998 percent certain that when it heads back around the planet in 2032 it will sail past again as it did on September 16.

"This is a relatively new discovery," said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's NEO Program. "With more observations, I fully expect we will be able to significantly reduce, or rule out entirely, any impact probability for the foreseeable future."

Read more on the asteroid at News.com.au.