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Asteroid threat demands response, experts warn 16:26 17 February 2007 NewScientist.com news service Ivan Semeniuk, San Francisco If the asteroid Apophis hits Earth in 2036, it could slam into the Pacific Ocean, generating a tsunami that could devastate the west coast of North America (Illustration: Don Davis/NASA) Kamchatkans and Venezuelans beware. A 20-million-tonne asteroid could be heading your way. Californians have even more reason to worry - the asteroid is more likely to hit the Pacific Ocean, triggering a tsunami that could devastate the west coast of North America. These are among the scenarios projected for asteroid Apophis, which researchers...

Next month a newly discovered asteroid will pass close enough to Earth to be easily spotted in small telescopes and even binoculars. According to calculations by Gareth V. Williams, associate director of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the asteroid's August 18th flyby should bring it to within 530,000 kilometers (330,000 miles) of Earth, just outside the Moon's orbital distance. Astronomers first detected this object, designated 2002 NY40, on July 14th with the 1-meter LINEAR telescope in New Mexico. Thus it was picked up a full month before brushing by Earth, unlike asteroid 2002 MN, whose pass well inside...

An asteroid which could hit the Earth in 17 years time should be blown away with a nuclear weapon, an Australian astronomer said today. If left untouched the asteroid could plummet to Earth, causing tidal waves and mayhem. The best way to ensure it was diverted was to put a nuclear weapon beside it and blow it out of orbit, Stromlo Observatory astronomer Vince Ford said. Scientists are still trying to determine whether the asteroid, known by NASA as 2002 NT7, will hit the Earth in 2019. NASA says it is still too early to tell whether the remote possibility...

LONDON (Reuters) - A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said Wednesday. The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is 1.2 miles wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth. "Objects of this size only hit the Earth every one or two million years," said Dr. Benny Peiser, an asteroid expert at Liverpool John Moore's University in northern England. "In the worst case scenario, a disaster of this size would be global in its extent, would create a meltdown...

Wednesday, 24 July, 2002, 02:29 GMT 03:29 UK Space rock 'on collision course'   An asteroid could devastate Earth       By Dr David Whitehouse BBC News Online science editor An asteroid discovered just weeks ago has become the most threatening object yet detected in space. A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 is on an impact course with Earth and could strike the planet on 1 February, 2019 - although the uncertainties are large. Astronomers have given the object a rating on the so-called Palermo technical scale of threat of 0.06, making NT7 the first object to...

NEWS   SPORT   WEATHER   WORLD SERVICE   A-Z INDEX    SEARCH   You are in: Science/Nature   News Front Page Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK Business Entertainment Science/Nature Technology Health ------------- Talking Point ------------- Country Profiles In Depth ------------- Programmes ------------- SERVICES Daily E-mail News Ticker Mobile/PDAs ------------- Text Only Feedback Help EDITIONS Change to UK Monday, 29 July, 2002, 11:51 GMT 12:51 UK Asteroid to miss - this time around It has been called the most threatening object in space By Dr David Whitehouse BBC News Online science editor Astronomers have ruled out an Earth impact from asteroid 2002...