Do you think its possible for asteroid Aeros to hit the Earth in our Lifetime?

Question

I was just watching the Science channel and thought I would see what other people think about these theories.

Answer 1

it is quite possible though unlikely for earth is in the path of millions of astroids though we are never in the right place to get struck

Answer 2

Gee -- I can find lists of 1000's of asteroids, but the name "Aeros" doesn't show up on any of them. Do you mean "Eros"?

Asteroid 433 Eros (also known as 1898 DQ) is the one the spacecraft NEAR landed on, 12 February 2001. This asteroid is expected to pass Earth on January 31, 2012 at a distance of about 1.6 million miles; this is six times further than the Moon.

No, I don't think its possible for Eros to hit Earth anytime in the next 1000 years.

Answer 3

Asteroids do hit earth every so often--the last one in Siberia in 1906 (fortunately in an unpopulated area). Luckily it was a small one--the equivelant of a 30-megaton nuclear bomb.

So yes, its possible--but current data indicate the odds are only about 1 in 1000. That's the good news. The even better news is that by then we should have spacecraft capable of nudging it out of the way in time to make it miss if it turns out it is going to hit.

IF, of course we start actually supporting NASA with more than token funding and nice-sounding rhetoric.

Answer 4

If you mean Eros, no, that asteroid is in a well known orbit that will not come dangerously near Earth any time soon.

Answer 5

1.6 million miles is not a very big gap when it has 5 more years of travel timeany small course change could have a large effect on it over 5 years.