Mars to be hit by asteroid

Quote :

Astronomers: Asteroid could hit Mars in January

A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on January 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.

Would this have any effect on the earth at all? Normally I wouldn't think so, but with something as close as Mars, could it like warp Mars orbit or something?

Well, Earth survived a hit like that pretty easily, and it hit land with lots of life. The 1908 hit was huge and remote, but it didn't cause a population crash or anything.

sucks for mars
and for everyone who was going to live there in 100 years

That Siberian thing in 1908 was actually a demonstration of Tesla's doomday device.

Dont be fooled!

maybe it will make such an impact it will bring up water below the surface (if it is there).

This reminds me of when that comet hit Jupiter about 15 years ago. It's impact was much larger than scientists anticipated. I think it was Jupiter.

Nothing to worry about. 15 megatons on a spacerock the size of mars is pretty small.


Think of how far a mosquito could push a blue whale and you'll get the idea of the impact. Not that it wouldn't be impressive if you were there and there might be some impressive photos if this happens and a visible crater - but this will be way way way way WAY too small to impact the earth, via gravity changes or magnetic interference or anything else.

Nothing to worry about. Root for a head on collision, it would be fun to see.

I'm more curious than worried

I was never particularly fond of Mars, anyway. Good riddance to bad planets.

Men are from Mars, women from Venus.

as long as it doesn't hit uranus

oh snap