Is It Wrong That We're Disappointed?

Scientists watching an asteroid as it comes ever-closer to Mars have more-or-less ruled out the possibility the space rock will hit the red planet later this month.

The Associated Press reports tracking measurements of asteroid 2007 WD5, taken from four separate observatories, have reduced the chance of impact to 1 in 10,000 -- a far cry from earlier estimates as high as 1 in 25.

Scientists with the Near-Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced the news Thursday. They now estimate the asteroid will pass anywhere from 16,000 to 2,480 miles off the surface of Mars.

As ANN reported, astronomers first discovered 2007 WD5 in November. The chance of a collision with Earth -- which is why NEO exists, to track such asteroids -- was quickly ruled out, but scientists watched closely to see if the chunk of rock would strike Mars... giving them the chance to study such an event, without risk to our planet.

The asteroid is big enough to have blasted a half-mile-wide crater on the Martian surface... fairly close to where the Mars rover Opportunity is located, which would have given scientists the cosmic equivalent of a front row seat to the event.

But, alas, it doesn't look like that will happen. Rats...

FMI: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/