Asteroid could hit Mars in January
Posted: Fri, Dec 21, 2007, 7:43 AM ET (1243 GMT)
Astronomers are tracking an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting the planet Mars in January. The 2007 WD5, estimated to be about 50 meters in diameter, has a 1-in-75 chance of hitting Mars on January 30, according to tracking data analyzed by JPL. If it does impact, it would likely create a crater nearly a kilometers across and generate a massive dust cloud easily visible by spacecraft in Mars orbit or even telescopes on Earth. The asteroid is currently out of view until early January, when astronomers plan to refine the asteroid's orbit and better determine its odds of hitting the planet.
Astronomers are tracking an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting the planet Mars in January. The 2007 WD5, estimated to be about 50 meters in diameter, has a 1-in-75 chance of hitting Mars on January 30, according to tracking data analyzed by JPL. If it does impact, it would likely create a crater nearly a kilometers across and generate a massive dust cloud easily visible by spacecraft in Mars orbit or even telescopes on Earth. The asteroid is currently out of view until early January, when astronomers plan to refine the asteroid's orbit and better determine its odds of hitting the planet.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 19
MISSION SUCCESS: Rocket Lab Launches 96th Electron Mission
Rocket Lab — 3:24 am ET (0724 GMT) AST SpaceMobile Faces Lawsuit Over Its Competitiveness With Starlink Mobile
PC Magazine — 1:24 am ET (0524 GMT) DIU and Space Systems Command award GHOST-R prototype contracts to support GEO recon capabilities for Department of War
US Space Force — 1:22 am ET (0522 GMT) Northrop Grumman to Deliver New Space Domain Awareness Prototype Satellite
Northrop Grumman — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) Is Space Force Pivoting Too Soon?
RealClearDefense — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) |
