Here is what everyone agrees on: this Halloween, a “massive” asteroid will pass close to earth at “unusually” high speeds. Will it kill us? Well, that is the question.

Just as Japan launches a space probe that will rendezvous with an asteroid, a global group of scientists warns that unless we do a better job of tracking asteroids, the entire human race could well be wiped out. Should you be worried? Yes. Death is certain.

It is not a question of if a killer asteroid will strike our planet, devastating at the very least a city, and at most the entire race. It is just a question of how soon. The current consensus: it won't be too long now.

If you missed last night's meteor in California, or last winter's exploding asteroid in Russia, you'll probably have another chance soon: Scientists now believe large asteroids, like the one in Russia, could strike Earth far more often than previously studies had indicated.

Tuesday morning, the House Science Committee summoned NASA chief Charles Bolden to discuss the possibility of a major asteroid colliding with Earth. There were, probably, many enlightening conversations, but we'll focus on just one, as highlighted by the New York Daily News:

After a meteorite crashed into Russia early this morning, you may have thought we'd reached our terrifying, Deep Impact-esque space shit quota for the week. Well, you'd be wrong because an asteroid is set to bypass the Earth today.

Many people now, at this point, have forwarded us the email they received from online dating service OK Cupid (screen-shotted) above, which was sent out with the subject "do you want to die alone?" which would probably just barely fall on the side of "cute" if it weren't accompanied by a graphic of an asteroid emblazoned with President Obama's face hitting the earth, in the process ripping to shreds what appears to be a rather large copy of the U.S. constitution. Hmm.

Earth is set to be destroyed or gain a new superhero or perhaps not be affected at all as a giant asteroid flies by the planet Thursday evening.

Here's the latest NASA picture of the aircraft carrier-sized Asteroid 2005 YU55—or, as we call it, Satan's Left Nut—which will pass about 200,000 miles away from Earth this afternoon. The last time an asteroid came this close was 1976.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan passed right near each other last month—millions of miles above earth. Not because they were launched into space by some kind of, I don't know, space... cannon? But because they are asteroids!

Frozen feathers! Getting shorter! Asteroid redemption! NASA engineers! Weight brain! Giant telescopes! Desperate dolphins! Indian frogs! And hypothetical questions with real world consequences! It's your Tuesday Science Watch, where we watch science—like ka-blow!

Coffee mystery! Asteroid deflection! Earth expansion! Fly paranoia! Acoustic cloaking! Bear strings! Homo sapienism! Smartest insect! And stupid fish are all like, "Which hand makes the 'L?'" It's your Wednesday Science Watch, where we watch science—as best we can!

New math! Fancier chips! Higgs Boson! Humongous fungus! Acid bases! Sea monster! Asteroid pictures! Fecal bleed! And everyone's best friend is dropping in for the summer! It's your Monday Science Watch, where we watch science—not that you would understand!

Life lives! Bears menace! Phone cancer! Asteroid stowaways! Booby bullies! Lab dangers! Electron dancing! Neanderthal crowding! And dangerous health experiments that you can do at home! It's your Thursday Science Watch, where we watch science—on the road, baby!

Since June 2009, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the moon, compiling data for the first full topographic map of the moon's surface, suggesting that 3.9 billion years ago asteroids pounded the moon and Earth, likely evaporating water supplies.

Two asteroids are due to pass between the Earth and the orbit of the moon sometime today, but don't worry, we're (probably) not all going to die: "Neither of these objects has a chance of hitting Earth," says NASA.

Wondering where all the asteroids are? Well, "up," obviously. But also, in this beautiful, hypnotic video that tracks asteroid discovery over the last 30 years. It's more engrossing than Armageddon, that's for sure. (Watching it in HD is best!) [via]

NASA would like to send a spacecraft to RQ36, the "mountain-size" asteroid expected to hit earth around 2182, to collect samples and map the asteroid. Be more budget-conscious, NASA! You could just rent Armageddon for a couple bucks instead. [NatGeo]

The European Space Agency yesterday released high resolution pictures from its Rosetta mission of an asteroid, Lutetia, said to be a remnant from the birth of the solar system. [Image via ESA]

A panel of 41 experts have reached an agreement that a "ginormous" (scientific term), 10-15km asteroid killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago when it slammed into the Yucatan. You didn't really believe that whole super-volcano theory... did you? [BBC]