Big Badaboom on Mars January 30th
According to LA Times, quoting Jet Propulsion Laboratory: “Researchers say the object, about 160 feet across, has an unusually good chance of plowing into the planet Jan. 30.”. The object is an asteroid with designation 2007 WD5. NASA/JPL’s Near-Earth Object observation program has more details.
The odds are about 1 out of 75. If it happens, a lot of cameras will be shooting pictures of the event. The previous time something like this happened was when the comet Shoemaker-Levy hit Jupiter in 1994 (scroll down to “Spacecraft Observations of the Impact”).
If Mars does get hit, we’d surely get nice pictures, but what else would happen? The impact would cause a lot of fine-particle dust to raise high up to the atmosphere. Eventually this would settle around the planet, like in times of large dust storms.
If the skies become completely obscured, it will be harder for the two Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity to obtain solar power for electricity. Then again, they are not exactly dust-free at the moment either. Hopefully a strong gust of wind will come and wipe the solar panels clean – it has happened in the past!
Update: Now the probability of impact has risen to almost 4%.
Update: The probability of impact went down slightly, standing now at 3.6%.
Update: No badaboom, big or small. Probability now 1:10000, according to NASA’s NEO program. Too bad!
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