But in the meantime…

October 11, 2010

Asteroid IDA 2003 QQ47 300x183 But in the meantime…Although scientists have basically cleared us from any danger from asteroid Gaspra 2002 NT7, which originally had been reported as an impact hazard for the year 2019, a newer space rock has been spotted, which may pose a threat even sooner.

At around 1.2 km in width, Asteroid Ida also known as 2003 QQ47, is substantially smaller than 2002 NT7 (2km), but has been called “an event meriting careful monitoring” by astronomers. If an impact does occur, it could be on March 21, 2014.

Discovered on August 24, 2003, again by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Project, 2003 QQ47 has been classified as a 1 on the Torino scale of impact hazards with the odds of a catastrophic collision only around 1 in 909,000.

Asteroids are rocks and debris which are the leftovers of the construction of our solar system nearly 5 billions years ago. Most are in a belt, which orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. However, the gravitational influence of the gas giant planets, like Jupiter, or an impact by a comet can knock these large rocks out of their safe orbit. The orbit of this asteroid has been calculated on only 51 observations during a seven-day period and require further observations to determine if any danger does exist. It will be monitored closely over the next two months. Astronomers expect the risk of impact to decrease significantly as more data is gathered.

Latest Update

Once again, the planet can breathe a sigh of relief. After making further observations of asteroid 2003 QQ47, astronomers now say:

“there is no threat from this rock”. It has been downgraded to a zero (0) on the Torino scale, which says, “The likelihood of a collision is zero, or well below the chance that a random object of the same size will strike the Earth within the next few decades. This designation also applies to any small object that, in the event of a collision, is unlikely to reach the Earth’s surface intact.”

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