1 in 75 chance

[metalman]

Asteroid on collision course with Mars

January 30th
 :popcorn:

[blobrana]

Impact probability is now 1:25, for  January 30.49044, 2008.

Updated flyby distance from Mars by 2007 WD5 is now 0.000140 AU. (Mars radius = 0.00002268 AU).

[AMC258]

:-o 1:25!! :-o

Don't forget about Comet 8P/Tuttle either!

What really really saddens me about life is how short our time with large comets is.  That and the length of the solar cycle.  Solar minimum seems to last for years and solar maximum only for months!

I wish my freaking telescope was in working order.  It's warm outside (-6C/22F) and the sky is clear for a change.  I still haven't got a good look at Comet 17P/Holmes.

[JaXanim]

A collision with Mars is now ruled out. See:Latest asteroid data

JaX

[metalman]

The "Good News"
Russian scientists say an asteroid on a collision course with Mars, will not affect Earth if it hits the 'Red' planet in January 2008.

:huh:
Just how big of an impact would it be to affect the earth?

The estimated 3 megatons of energy from the asteroid Mars collision seems a little small to affect the earth.

The "Bad News"
Asteroid to miss Mars, may hit Earth

:popcorn:
Will this be before or after the sun goes nova in 5 billion years?    

[JaXanim]

metalman wrote:
Just how big of an impact would it be to affect the earth?

It wouldn't affect Earth at all. However if Mars were annihilated there would be consequencies for us.

JaX

[metalman]

JaXanim wrote:

metalman wrote:
Just how big of an impact would it be to affect the earth?

It wouldn't affect Earth at all. However if Mars were annihilated there would be consequencies for us.

JaX

A 3 megaton impact on Mars is only a 1 mile diameter crater.



barely any consequences even for Martians.

Meteor Crater in Arizona was a 2.5 megaton impact.

[JaXanim]

@metalman

That's a superb looking crater! Where is it?

JaX

[metalman]

Mars! :-P  here's a link to the high res image.

This perfectly formed crater on Mars northern Elysium Planitia is a little more than twice the diameter of Meteor Crater in Arizona. Picture from Mars Orbital Camera taken July 1998.

Must have been a right angle impact. No sign of oblique angle debris scatter.

some other NASA Mars crater photos

"Happy Face Crater" (officially known as Galle Crater)



I think it looks like Blossom!