Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => In the Media... => Topic started by: Tony G on Jun 10, 2009, 23:22:09

Title: Could Earth collide with Mars?
Post by: Tony G on Jun 10, 2009, 23:22:09
Scientists believe the Earth could one day collide with Mars or Venus, because of the unpredictable orbits of planets.  :(

Experts say there is only a tiny chance of it happening and it would be unlikely to happen for billions of years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8094088.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8094088.stm)

Tony G
Title: Billion-year alert: Mars projected to collide with Earth
Post by: Rick on Jun 16, 2009, 10:23:16
Forget sending astronauts to Mars, the planet may come crashing right here to Earth if gravitational interactions substantially agitate its now-stable orbit.

A new study in the June 11 issue of Nature predicts there's a real, albeit slim possibility of a planetary smash-up inside the inner solar system, largely thanks to Mercury's distinctly lopsided orbit.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/11/boffins_track_odds_of_planetary_smashup/