This area will cover relevant news of the threat to the planet from Near Earth Objects (NEOs) including concepts and designs for mitigation. All opinions are those of the author.

03 March 2006

Update from David Morrison: Summary of Known Facts About 2004 VD17

Update from David Morrison at NASA Ames Research Center on 2004 VD17:

"At the end of February, orbital calculations for near-Earth-asteroid (NEA) 2004 VD17 indicated that the risk of an impact within the next century (specifically on May 4, 2102) was higher than that of any other known asteroid. The probability, based on 687 telescopic observations spanning 475 days, is listed on the JPL NEO Program webpage as a bit less than 1 in 1000."

"There is no similar keyhole in the case of VD17 [compared to Asteroid Apophis], although it does make relatively close passes by Earth in 2032, 2041 and 2067."

"...there are no near-term opportunities for additional observations, so VD17 will probably remain at Torino scale 2 for quite some time."

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