The one glitch was a software issue that prevented the probe from prioritising its data return to concentrate on the pictures form the period of closestapproach.
At its closest approach a distance of about 17, 200 miles or so away the asteroid will pass over the eastern Indian Ocean, off Sumatra at 2:24 pm ET Friday, Feb. 15.
At some 2.7 kms in diameter (or some nine Queen Elizabeth 2 ship-lengths in size), 1998 QE2 is due to make its latest closestapproach to earth at 1:59 Pacific Daylight Time (4:59 EDT) today.
Mr. President, you called Chancellor Merkel one of your closest global allies, but you have differed in approach on a couple of key issues -- Libya and the global economic recovery over the years.