Mars may be in for a hit.

[Waveform]

Slight chance Mars may be in for a hit.
This should be quite interesting as time progresses.

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Mars could be in for an asteroid hit. A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on Jan. 30, scientists said Thursday.
"These odds are extremely unusual. We frequently work with really long odds when we track ... threatening asteroids," said Steve Chesley, an astronomer with the Near Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The asteroid, known as 2007 WD5, was discovered in late November and is similar in size to an object that hit remote central Siberia in 1908, unleashing energy equivalent to a 15-megaton nuclear bomb and wiping out 60 million trees.

Scientists tracking the asteroid, currently halfway between Earth and Mars, initially put the odds of impact at 1 in 350 but increased the chances this week. Scientists expect the odds to diminish again early next month after getting new observations of the asteroid's orbit, Chesley said.

"We know that it's going to fly by Mars and most likely going to miss, but there's a possibility of an impact," he said.

If the asteroid does smash into Mars, it will probably hit near the equator close to where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian plains since 2004. The robot is not in danger because it lies outside the impact zone. Speeding at 8 miles a second, a collision would carve a hole the size of the famed Meteor Crater in Arizona.

In 1994, fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smacked into Jupiter, creating a series of overlapping fireballs in space. Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.

"Unlike an Earth impact, we're not afraid, but we're excited," Chesley said.


Link

I was reading about this which makes you think that the same could happen to earth. Do you think that's possible waveform?

[aslkahuna]

It's not a matter of IF but WHEN we will have the next impact on Earth.

Steve

[Waveform]

QUOTE (Dustin @ Dec 21 2007, 07:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was reading about this which makes you think that the same could happen to earth. Do you think that's possible waveform?[/b]

As aslkahuna eluded to, this is a matter of when and not if. We have been hit since this place was nothing more than a large molten blob several billion years ago and will continue be so.

We know where many of the earth orbit crossers are and their size. But we have not discovered all of them yet. We know there are rogues out there somewhere.

However, the longer we go with out the next major strike the better technology we will have to deal with it.

The big thing is to find them, calculate their size and orbit. There are future telescopes in the planning stages and actually have the preliminary funding now, but they will not be on line for a few more years.

In fact just lately there was a set back in asteroid 'hunting'.
It is in the works to shut down the Arcebo radio telescope due to a lack of funding. It's a bit of a shame because this instrument did much radar work in find and tracking asteroids.

However, although the odd are quite slim, the thing is if there is a asteroid out there with our name on it, we may discover it.
The problem is we may discover it when we see a bright light in the sky, hear a sonic boom and see a fast moving object with a impressive trail. just before impact.

Not to worry though, statistically and probability it will not happen in our life time.
But no guarantees

[aslkahuna]

In fact, it's very likely that the bright orb we seen in our night sky is itself the product of a major impact when Earth was very young as is our axial tilt and offset Geomagnetic field.

Steve

[picassoscat]

I hope they get images from the rover. That will be very interesting to have a front row seat !

[beechsundowner]

QUOTE (picassoscat @ Dec 21 2007, 10:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope they get images from the rover. That will be very interesting to have a front row seat ![/b]

Lets hope the rovers don't take the "bullet"

I just wonder if it will kick up one massive dust storm?

[Waveform]

The odds right now are about 1 in 75 chance it will impact.

If it does, the zone will be somewhere in the Northern hemisphere. The rover Opportunity is there.
There are orbiting cameras that may get a good 'shot' also. One in particular has a set of very good cameras. I would love to see this one capture the event if it happens.

There will be a lot of earth based telescopes pointed in that direction, both professional and amateur.
The asteroid 2007 WD5 is about 50 meters wide, the velocity now is 27,900 miles per hour.
If it impacts it will release the energy equivalent of a 3 megaton bomb.
It would certainly throw up a lot of dust hitting at ≥ 30,000 miles per hour.

At this point in time it looks like about 6 a.m. EST (3 a.m. PST) on Jan. 30,
2008 or somewhere close in that time frame.

There will be enough measurements taken over the next several weeks to predict this thing much more accurately.

It would be damn cool to see though.....

[beechsundowner]

QUOTE (Waveform @ Dec 22 2007, 12:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It would be damn cool to see though.....[/b]

If I remember correctly, Jupiter took a similar rapid fire hit from a comet breaking up, which I think telescopes captered the event?

Allen

[Waveform]

QUOTE (Beechsundower @ Dec 22 2007, 04:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I remember correctly, Jupiter took a similar rapid fire hit from a comet breaking up, which I think telescopes captered the event?

Allen[/b]

That was Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. Broke up into a linear chain and impacted Jupiter.
Fired large plumes over the horizon. Quite an awesome sight.

Yes, there were many telescopes that captured that event, both in the visual and radio spectrum.