Until a few days ago, astronomers were looking with concern at Apophis , an asteroid the size of two soccer fields that, according to initial calculations, would approach Earth in 2029 with a 2.7 percent chance of impact. New estimates from Hawaii dispel fears of a crash.
The asteroid Apophis was discovered in 2004 and it has been calculated that its closest approach to Earth will occur on April 13, 2036 . The chances of the encounter ending in collision , previously one in 45,000, are now 4 in a million , said Steve Chesley, a scientist at JPL, who will present a study today to the Division of Planetary Sciences of the Astronomical Society of USA The new calculations come from observations made by astronomer Dave Tholen, from the University of Hawaii, who estimates that the rocky body of the asteroid will pass about 29,450 kilometers from our planet .
In addition, the latest observations have made it possible to establish that the asteroid will have a new "close encounter" with Earth in 2068 , with three chances out of a million of impacting our planet.
