Asteroid Apophis Larger Than Expected New Goldstone Radar Data Says A Miss In 2036

The European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory made new observations of ASTEROID "APOPHIS" as it approached Earth this weekend obtaining new data showing the asteroid to be as much as "20%" bigger than first estimated, and less reflective, notes ESA SPACE SCIENCE and the BBC. Meanwhile, "SKY "> "GOLDSTONE SINGLE-PIXEL OBSERVATIONS OF APOPHIS HAVE RULED OUT THE POTENTIAL 2036 EARTH IMPACT," says Jon Giorgini, a dynamicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Based on revised orbit calculations, he says Apophis will then come no closer than about 14 million miles - and more likely miss us by something closer to 35 million miles. Moreover, the radar data have improved the asteroid's positional uncertainty so much that dynamicists can now accurately predict its trajectory decades into the future. Goldstone radar observations of Apophis will continue through January 17, 2013 and additional tracking is planned next month with the giant Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico. All that pinging should reveal the asteroid's shape and spin state, in addition to super-accurate positional data. NASA plan to takeout asteroidRUSSIAN SCIENTISTS are planning to plant the asteroid with A RADIO BEACON TO TRACE ITS ORBIT and the risks Apophis pose to our planet. But the mission will only take place after 2020. How the new tracking data by NASA and ESA may impact the plan is unknown at this time.On February 15, a 57-metre asteroid, 2012 DA14, will skim the planet at just 34 500 kilometres. In other words, it will spookily fly by inside the orbit of geostationary satellites.NASA DEVELOPED PLANS A FEW YEARS AGO for a spacecraft to launch a nuclear strike on an asteroid threatening to strike Earth. It remains an active alternative should one come close to Earth with enough time for engineers and rocket scientists to react. American, Chinese, Japanese and Russian spacecraft have visited 16 asteroids.

Source: shieldufoproject.blogspot.com