Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
Newser - Current News - Breaking Stories

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Asteroid Won't Slam Into Mars After All

Posted Jan 11, 08 4:24 CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – An asteroid heading toward Mars won't crash into it after all, according to disappointed scientists. They had initially calculated there was a 1-in-27 chance of the space rock hitting the red planet, but after new observations researchers estimate the odds are only 1 in 10,000, "effectively ruling out the possible collision," according to the latest report.

Researchers had been hoping for a collision so that satellites already orbiting Mars could collect data on the impact. Asteroid 2007 WD5 has been under observation by NASA's Near Earth Object division because its orbit takes it close enough to Earth to pose a threat of collision—although scientists now say there is "no possibility" of that in the next 100 years.
Source: Space.com

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Built for 90 Days, Mars Rovers Mark 5 Years

    Jan 3, 09 3:55 PM CST
    Built for 90 Days, Mars Rovers Mark 5 Years NASA’s twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity are celebrating their fifth birthdays on Mars after surviving more than 20 times their expected lifespan, Space.com reports. The two probes were each built for a 90-day trek across the Red Planet but have survived computer glitches and blistering weather conditions. “These rovers are incredibly resilient,” said a NASA project manager.
    More »

  • NASA Launching First Satellite to Map CO2

    Dec 18, 08 6:22 PM CST
    NASA Launching First Satellite to Map CO2 NASA will soon launch a satellite that can measure carbon dioxide concentrations near the surface of the Earth, giving scientists an accurate picture of where the gas is produced and absorbed, the BBC reports. "This is NASA's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," said a project leader. The data should help scientists get a better idea of how CO2 moves through the atmosphere and affects climate change.
    More »

  • Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight

    Dec 12, 08 4:29 PM CST
    Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight If tonight’s full moon looks bigger and brighter than normal, that’s because it is, Space.com reports. The satellite reaches its perigree today, making its position the closest of the year to Earth—though still some 222,000 miles away. The moon's irregular orbit causes the distance to vary.


    More »

  • British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon

    Dec 5, 08 5:55 PM CST
    British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon The UK’s space agency is reviewing the feasibility of a mission to put satellites in orbit around the moon, CNET reports. The MoonLITE study plans to send four “penetrator darts” containing geophysical instruments into the moon’s crust, monitoring their findings with four accompanying satellites. The resulting data will deliver information on moonquakes and the composition of the moon’s crust and core.
    More »

  • New Rover Won't Hit Mars Until 2011

    Dec 4, 08 3:57 PM CST
    New Rover Won't Hit Mars Until 2011 NASA is delaying the launch of its next Mars rover, which is significantly larger and more complex than previous models, until 2011, Space.com reports. The Mars Science Laboratory was set to arrive on the red planet next year, but problems with crucial mechanical components mean it will miss its tight launch window. “We're really only a few months behind schedule, not two years behind schedule,” said the director of the exploration program. More »

This undated image provided by NASA Jan. 23, 2006 shows a false-color image taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's camera showing the dune crests in the Endurance Crater. Scientists have...   (Associated Press)
This image provided by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows a close-up of the red planet Mars when it was closest to the Hubble Space Telescope - just 55 million miles (88 million kilometers) away taken...   (Associated Press)
An artist rendition released by the European Space Agency on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 shows the main bodies of the solar system, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Earth, from left in foreground, Uranus, Neptune,...   (Associated Press)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this picture of Mars in 2003. The possibility of a collision between Mars and an approaching asteroid has been effectively ruled out, according to scientists watching...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Related Threads

(1 of 2)

Tags

NASA • space • Mars • asteroid


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

[ Stories ]

Threads

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories