A faint streak of light recorded in 1955 has calmed fears about a
catastrophic asteroid impact. After learning of the possible threat to Earth
posed by asteroid 1999 AN10
(This Week, 5 June, p 5), two German amateur
astronomers, Arno Gnädig and Andreas Doppler, calculated where it should
have been during the 1955 Palomar sky survey. They then spotted it on a
digitised image. From this information, Gareth Williams and Brian Marsden of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, refined
their calculations of the asteroid’s orbit. “We’re safe until sometime after
2076,” says Marsden.
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
2
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
3
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
4
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
5
Can prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics help your ageing microbiome?
6
Bioplastic habitats on Mars could be built from algae
7
Cervical cancer deaths have plummeted thanks to HPV vaccine
8
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
9
Autism may have two distinct subtypes that vary by brain activity
10
Chilling the body with drugs could limit brain damage from stroke
