New radar observations during Apophis’ close approach to Earth over the last few days have narrowed down the uncertainty in its orbit enough to know that it will NOT hit Earth in 2036, according to an article published in Sky and Telescope (I’m still trying to track down a more primary source).
This is despite still not knowing several things about it (like its shape), but the uncertainties on its orbit are now so small that the combination of all the other unknowns are too small to put it on a collision course with Earth in 2036.
That’s all the info I have on this for now. Doesn’t mean it may not hit in the future, and it doesn’t meant that something else won’t hit in the future. When looking for things in space to kill us, asteroids are by far the most likely because we know it WILL happen, it’s just a matter of when and how big.
Edited to Add: And here’s more of an official story, this one from NASA’s Asteroid & Comet Watch.
Exposing PseudoAstronomy 
This is a wonderful news; thank you very much for the update, Dr. Robbins.
It is bad times for the people who sale fear, superstitions and controversies to other people, because nothing happened in 2012 and 21 December, and now the danger of Apophis is going away.
They now have to find something to put in their sad market.
Comment by Jennifer — January 11, 2013 @ 1:49 am |
I’m sure they’ll come up with something.
Comment by Stuart Robbins — January 11, 2013 @ 1:51 am |