Friday, October 9, 2009

Fresh Impact Risks For Asteroid 'Poster Child'

Still heading our way (Image: Stocktrek Images/Getty)

From New Scientist:

The chances of the asteroid Apophis hitting Earth in 2036 are lower than we thought. But those worried about deep impacts should add a new entry to their calendar: 2068.

When Apophis was first spotted in 2004, the 250-metre-wide rock was briefly estimated to have a 2.7 per cent chance of hitting Earth in 2029. Further observations quickly showed that it will miss Earth that year – but should it pass through a 600-metre-wide "keyhole" in space, it will return to hit Earth in 2036.

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