Red Christmas

In a story released earlier this week, scientists announced the discovery of an asteroid that unlike it's rocky comrades, has the potential of partaking in that activity asteroids are notorious for - hitting other planets. On January 30, 2008, asteroid 2007 WD5 currently has a 1 in 75 chance of hitting the red planet, Mars.

While the odds are against it, this asteroid is unique in that very few asteroids have attained such a high probability of hitting another planet in the years since the 1994 impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter.

The asteroid is estimated to be between 100-200 feet in diameter, putting it in the same league as the object that exploded over the Tunguska region of Russia in 1908. That explosion, which is estimated to have been in the 10-15 megaton range, leveled nearly 30 miles of forest. Due to the desolation of the region that it struck, no lives where lost. 2007 WD5 would create a crater the size of Meteor Crater in Arizona.

If it were to hit Mars, it would strike somewhere along the equator, near the same general region of the Opportunity rover that's still chugging away on the surface. While it sits outside of the impact zone, both Opportunity and her sister rover Spirit would have the chance to collect invaluable ground data on the impact. The armada of spacecraft in orbit around Mars will also be able to collect data from orbit. Currently the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 2001 Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express Orbiter are poised to capture the event in the moments and days that follow.

January 30 could prove to be an exciting day for science.

The story can be found here.