Close encounter of the asteroid kind In this NASA image, the
275-metre-wide asteroid Apophis is circled. A 275-METRE-wide
asteroid will make the latest in a series of close approaches to
the Earth tomorrow morning. Scientists have ruled out any
possibility of a cataclysmic collision – for now – but there
remains a chance of the asteroid Apophis smashing into Earth in
2036. This year Apophis, named after an Egyptian mythological
demon, will not get closer than around 14.5 million kilometres.
Scientists will use the encounter to improve their estimate of
just how dangerous the space rock really is. In 2029, Apophis is
expected to come uncomfortably close, brushing past the Earth at
a distance of just 30,000 kilometres. That will put the asteroid
inside the orbit of communications satellites. Current models
predict a tiny but real likelihood of Apophis colliding with the
Earth in 2036. When the asteroid was discovered in 2004,
scientists calculated a one-in-45 chance of an impact in 2029.
Improved predictions la