An asteroid discovered just weeks ago has become the most threatening =
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 =
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 be =
>>From its brightness, astronomers estimate it is about two kilometres =
wide, large enough to cause continent-wide devastation on Earth.=20
Although astronomers say the object definitely merits attention, they =
expect more observations to show it is not on an Earth-intersecting =
This asteroid has now become the most threatening object in the =
It was first seen on the night of 5 July, picked up by the Linear =
Observatory's automated sky survey programme in New Mexico, US.=20
Since then astronomers worldwide have been paying close attention to it, =
amassing almost 200 observations in a few weeks.=20
Dr Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, told BBC =
News Online that "this asteroid has now become the most threatening =
object in the short history of asteroid detection".=20
NT7 circles the Sun every 837 days and travels in a tilted orbit from =
about the distance of Mars to just within the Earth's orbit.=20
Detailed calculations of NT7's orbit suggest many occasions when its =
projected path through space intersects the Earth's orbit.=20
Researchers estimate that on 1 February, 2019, its impact velocity on =
the Earth would be 28 km a second - enough to wipe out a continent and =
However, Dr Peiser was keen to point out that future observations could =
He said: "This unique event should not diminish the fact that additional =
observations in coming weeks will almost certainly - we hope - eliminate =
According to astronomers, NT7 will be easily observable for the next 18 =
months or so, meaning there is no risk of losing the object.=20
Observations made over that period - and the fact that NT7 is bright =
enough that it is bound to show up in old photographs - mean that =
scientists will soon have a very precise orbit for the object.=20
Dr Donald Yeomans, of the US space agency's (Nasa) Jet Propulsion =
Laboratory in California, told BBC News Online: "The orbit of this =
object is rather highly inclined to the Earth's orbit so it has been =
missed because until recently observers were not looking for such =
Regarding the possibility of an impact, Dr Yeomans said the =
"The error in our knowledge of where NT7 will be on 1 February, 2019, is =
large, several tens of millions of kilometres," he said.=20
Dr Yeomans said the world would have to get used to finding more objects =
like NT7 that, on discovery, look threatening, but then become harmless. =
"This is because the problem of Near-Earth Objects is now being properly =
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Not the computer game but =
<DIV><SPAN class=3Ddate><FONT face=3DArial size=3D1>Wednesday, 24 July, =
<DIV class=3Dheadlinestory><B>Space rock 'on collision =
<DIV class=3Dinlineimage><IMG height=3D180 alt=3D"Nasa simulation"=20
<DIV class=3Dcaption><FONT size=3D1>An asteroid could devastate=20
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D315 border=3D0>
<TD vAlign=3Dbottom><SPAN class=3DbylineAuthor>By Dr David =
</SPAN><BR><SPAN class=3DbylineDescription>BBC News Online science =
border=3D0></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>An asteroid discovered just weeks =
become the most threatening object yet detected in space.=20
<P>A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 is on an impact course =
and could strike the planet on 1 February, 2019 - although the =
<P>Astronomers have given the object a rating on the so-called Palermo =
scale of threat of 0.06, making NT7 the first object to be given a =
<P>From its brightness, astronomers estimate it is about two kilometres =
large enough to cause continent-wide devastation on Earth.=20
<P>Although astronomers say the object definitely merits attention, they =
more observations to show it is not on an Earth-intersecting trajectory. =
<TABLE class=3Dboxbody cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D3 width=3D150 =
<DIV class=3Dboxbody>This asteroid has now become the most =
object in the short history of asteroid detection </DIV><IMG =
seen on the night of 5 July, picked up by the Linear Observatory's =
<P>Since then astronomers worldwide have been paying close attention to =
<P>Dr Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, told =
Online that "this asteroid has now become the most threatening object in =
short history of asteroid detection".=20
<P>NT7 circles the Sun every 837 days and travels in a tilted orbit from =
the distance of Mars to just within the Earth's orbit.=20
<P>Detailed calculations of NT7's orbit suggest many occasions when its=20
<P>Researchers estimate that on 1 February, 2019, its impact velocity on =
Earth would be 28 km a second - enough to wipe out a continent and cause =
<P>However, Dr Peiser was keen to point out that future observations =
<P>He said: "This unique event should not diminish the fact that =
<P>According to astronomers, NT7 will be easily observable for the next =
<P>Observations made over that period - and the fact that NT7 is bright =
that it is bound to show up in old photographs - mean that scientists =
have a very precise orbit for the object.=20
<P>Dr Donald Yeomans, of the US space agency's (Nasa) Jet Propulsion =
in California, told BBC News Online: "The orbit of this object is rather =
inclined to the Earth's orbit so it has been missed because until =
observers were not looking for such objects in that region of space."=20
<P>Regarding the possibility of an impact, Dr Yeomans said the =
<P>"The error in our knowledge of where NT7 will be on 1 February, 2019, =
<P>Dr Yeomans said the world would have to get used to finding more =
NT7 that, on discovery, look threatening, but then become harmless.=20
<P>"This is because the problem of Near-Earth Objects is now being =