Asteroid may hit Mars on January?!?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071221/ap_on_sc/mars_asteroid;_ylt=ApNggN5OngV3V19lA2YEvuKzvtEF

Is it probable that Mars' orbit could change or something?!What do you think?

Answer 1

Not likely. The asteroid might be a 2-3 kilometers across if it's a really big one. Mars is almost 6800 kilometers across. It would be like expecting to move a bowling ball by throwing grains of sand against it, one at a time.

If it does hit, the asteroid will kick up clouds of dust, etc, and cause earthquakes and shocks. But it won't shift the orbit enough to be a problem.

Answer 2

No chance whatsoever that Mars's orbit will be affected in the slightest. The difference in mass between Mars and the asteroid are just too great, even after you figure in the kinetic energy of the asteroid. If it's expected to leave a crater something about like the Barringer Crater in Arizona then the object is probably only about 50 yards or so in diameter, assuming that will be its diameter after burning off some mass during entry through the atmosphere. Since Mars gravity is less than Earth's it seems to me that the impact velocity would be significantly lower than the Barringer impact (..about 45,000 mph..)

I almost hope it does hit so we can get some -- hopefully -- good pics, especially if the strike is near one of our surface explorers on Mars.

Answer 3

Even in a direct hit, Mars' orbit wouldn't be displaced by more than a few inches, at most.
Besides that, we're talking about a 1 in 75 chance--about the same odds as that of a space shuttle explosion like the Challenger's.
But, even so, with an impact of the magnitude that they're talking about, perhaps it may disturb liquid water that may be underground, and cause it to slosh all around.
Also, perhaps a few years later, another spacecraft could investigate what happened, and, maybe find a few traces of past life (if it existed). The impact may even be visible to the unaided eye.

Answer 4

No, this object is way too small to affect Mars' orbit, even if it does hit the the planet. However, this object will blast out a crater at least as big as Meteor Crater in Arizona if it does hit Mars. It's far from certain to strike the planet, but you can bet if it was coming our way and not Mars', government officials worldwide would be bracing for the worst.

Answer 5

No. The impact is expexcted to be only 15 megatons. Other than throw a lot martian soil into the air, & a creatrer several miles in diameter, Mars will not be changed or altered in the way you suggest.

Answer 6

Yes, if it hits then Mars orbit will change.
But ... even if it hits straight-on the orbit will change by less than 4 meters per century! There are a lot of other things out there -- like Jupiter's gravity -- that change the orbit by much more than that.

Answer 7

Mars' orbit wouldn't change... you'd need a *very* large asteroid for that to happen.

Answer 8

Mars' orbit would not change. The asteroid is too small.

Answer 9

One roughly the same size hit a forest in Siberia in 1908, and it didn't change the orbit of the earth.
Might want to check this out if your so inclined:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/sl9/sl9.html
Astroids hit whatever is in their path, regardless of where it happens in the universe, its just not always on the news.

Answer 10

forget it. the final estimate as we talk is that it's going to no longer ensue, some million:20 at ultimate. If it does ensue, we could desire to get some action picture at 11 or pics on a NASA information superhighway website. do no longer stay wakeful for it.