Experts say the Cassini mission has three risky phases: the launching, the orbit around Earth for a booster-rocket firing and the swing past Earth in August 1999 at an altitude of 500 miles.

In the following month its tip would sweep past Earth like a searchlight as Athena swung into its return path, growing even more spectacular as it crossed Earth's orbit fifteen million miles ahead.

The reasons for arriving in this particular place remain unclear, but the authorities speculated that it might have been a prime viewing spot for the comet's brush past Earth.

Before they were ready to 'round the corner' on their swing past Earth the child was much better.

A Tunguska event-sized asteroid buzzed past Earth at 72,000 kilometers.

When this beam moves past Earth, it shows up as a pulse (like the light from a lighthouse is seen as a flash on the horizon).

Emmons became interested in astronomy after reading a Popular Science article about the 1932 HA, an asteroid that had recently travelled past Earth.

It's swept past Earth already and is blocking our lower-frequency links.

The asteroid (designated 2003 SQ222), about the size of a small house, flew past Earth at a distance of around 88,000 kilometres.

Once past Earth, the spacecraft will transfer communications from its medium gain antenna to its aft-looking low gain antennas.