Possibility of asteroid hitting Mars upped to 1 out of 25

By William Atkins
Saturday, 29 December 2007 19:14

Science - Space

Right now, scientists are predicting that the asteroid will pass within 30,000 miles (48,300 kilometers) of Mars at about 6 a.m. eastern standard time (EST) (1100 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)) on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.

Yeomans also stated, "Right now asteroid 2007 WD5 is about half-way between Earth and Mars and closing the distance at a speed of about 27,900 miles per hour. Over the next five weeks, we hope to gather more information from observatories so we can further refine the asteroid's trajectory." [NASA/JPL “Astronomers Monitor Asteroid to Pass Near Mars” December 21, 2007]

Asteroid 2007 WD5 was discovered in late November 2007 by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey, which operates out of the state of Arizona.

Later observations from the NASA-funded SPACEWATCH Project at Kitt Peak (Arizona) and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (New Mexico) provided scientists with extra data to determine that the asteroid was not a danger to planet Earth, but could possibly collide with the planet Mars.

The asteroid is currently positioned between the orbits of Earth and Mars within our solar system. It is still on course to cross the orbital path of Mars and possibly hit Mars on January 30, 2008. If it does hit the planet, it will hit it at a speed of about 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) per hour.

And, it will likely make a one-half-mile (0.8-kilometer) crater into the Martian landscape. There is no danger to Earthlings and no danger to the two twin rovers on the Martian surface and the various spacecraft in orbit about the planet.

For more information about the NASA Near-Earth Object Program, go to: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ .