Asteroid could hit Mars in January
Posted: Fri, Dec 21, 2007, 6:43 AM ET (1143 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.
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