Date:30/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/30/stories/2007123055892000.htm

Front Page

Mars faces asteroid hit

LOS ANGELES: The chance of a football field-sized asteroid ploughing into Mars next month has been increased to 4 per cent, scientists said after analysing archival data.

Though still a small chance, some researchers are hoping for a cosmic smash. “I think it’ll be cool,” said Don Yeomans, who heads the Near-Earth Object Programme at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Usually when an asteroid is headed toward the earth, I’m not rooting for an impact.”

The asteroid poses no threat to the earth and is closing in on the Red Planet at 44,898 km an hour. The space rock, known as 2007 WD5, was discovered in November by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona.

Based on the latest information available, scientists said last week there was a one-in-75 chance that the asteroid could hit Mars on January 30. — AP