Apophis Asteroid Threat Less Than Earlier Calculated

NASA announced today that the likelihood of the Apophis asteroid colliding with Earth in 2036 is significantly less than earlier thought. The new estimate is that the chance of an “encounter” with Earth in 2036 is four in a million instead of one in 45,000. The findings will be presented at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences meeting in Puerto Rico tomorrow.