American scientists are offering a $50,000 prize to the person who designs a system for tagging and tracking the potentially Earth-threatening asteroid, Apophis.
The asteroid is due to pass very close (astronomically speaking) to Earth in 2029. During this close encounter, its trajectory will be changed thanks to Earth's gravitational influence. There is a chance, albeit small, that it could be put on a path to collide with us in 2036.
More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/14/asteroids_competition/
And: http://planetary.org/programs/projects/near_earth_objects/apophis_competition/rules.html
Must be a Slow News Day... ;)