Giant asteroids unlikely to ram into Earth in foreseeable future

Asteroid Apophis has not reached Earth yet; however, it has already excited comment on its possible and quick impact with the planet.

A 13-year-old German boy corrected NASA calculations and the forecast flight of the celestial body near the Earth, AFP reported with reference to Germany’s Postdamer Neueste Nachrichten. Young astronomer Nico Marquardt said that Apophis would near Earth in 2029 and would change its trajectory in such a way that it might hit the planet next time. NASA experts estimated the risk of the catastrophe at 1 to 45,000, while Marquardt’s calculations show it is 100 times more. The experts have reportedly acknowledged the boy’s calculations to be correct.

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NASA reacted quite swiftly to the news and released an official statement. The Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which made the calculations, “is not going to change its forecasts and points at a very low possibility (1 to 45,000) of Asteroid Apophis’ collision with Earth in 2036”. “NASA specialists who study near-Earth space neither had contacts nor did they receive any messages from the young German student who considers the collision is much more likely. He based his conclusions on the Asteroid Apophis’ possible collision with the artificial satellite when the asteroid approached Earth in 2029. However, the asteroid is not to reach the major belt of geosynchronous satellites in 2029 and the possibility of the collision with the satellite is quite low. That is why the possibility of collision with the artificial satellite cannot affect the initial calculations of Asteroid Apophis’ collision with Earth, that is 1 to 45,000.”

According to LiveScience.com, stories about asteroids approaching Earth appear on a regular basis. At least once a year news stories about an imminent catastrophe spreads worldwide, but then it is refuted or the possibility of a catastrophe lowers to some thousandths of percent.

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