Source CNN
Mars could be in for an asteroid hit
If the asteroid strikes Mars, it will probably hit near the equator close to where the rover Opportunity is exploring.
A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on January 30, scientists said Thursday.
“These odds are extremely unusual. We frequently work with really long odds when we track … threatening asteroids,” said Steve Chesley, an astronomer with the Near Earth Object Program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The asteroid, known as 2007 WD5, was discovered in late November and is similar in size to an object that hit remote central Siberia in 1908, unleashing energy equivalent to a 15-megaton nuclear bomb and wiping out 60 million trees.
Scientists tracking the asteroid, currently halfway between Earth and Mars, initially put the odds of impact at 1 in 350 but increased the chances this week. Scientists expect the odds to diminish again early next month after getting new observations of the asteroid’s orbit, Chesley said.
“We know that it’s going to fly by Mars and most likely going to miss, but there’s a possibility of an impact,” he said.
If the asteroid does smash into Mars, it will probably hit near the equator close to where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian plains since 2004. The robot is not in danger because it lies outside the impact zone. Speeding at 8 miles a second, a collision would carve a hole the size of the famed Meteor Crater in Arizona.
In 1994, fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smacked into Jupiter, creating a series of overlapping fireballs in space. Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.
“Unlike an Earth impact, we’re not afraid, but we’re excited,” Chesley said
It seems by all the media that it may pass mars, the meteor, what if it does, earth is the planet after, do we need to be worried? I recall there is another one that we are concerened about in the year 2012 could this be the one instead? What is going on. I know if something devasting would happen the public would not be notiflyed.
I just have a lot of questions and concerns especially the planet that we live on.
Many Thanks,
Louise
I wouldn’t be too worried, Louise. As Mr. Douglas Adams said, “Space is Big. Really Big”.
Mars and Earth revolve around the sun at different speeds so just because we’re the next planet, doesn’t mean we’re anywhere near Mars right now.
Any amateur astronomers out there care to comment on this?
I am amazed to read how excited the scientist are for impact, what part of sibiean impact killing 80 million trees in 1908 do they not understand. the fire balls with its energy could land in a populated area of the world. I think you just don’t know what to do about it, so you say silly things like, we are excited we hope it hits Mars. Our World is going through changes, look at the Sunome, so much of what happens to us we bring on our selves, people have talked about all the garbage we have put in the atmosphere for years,for every action their is a reaction, why are we so foolish.