The asteroid Apophis, which NASA had rated as having a 1 in 45,000 chance of colliding with the Earth in the April 2029, in actuality has a 1 in 450 chance.
And if the asteroid collides with a satellite in Earth orbit in its 2029 pass, then the asteroid will hit the Earth in 2036.
Both NASA and [13 year-old German amateur astronomer Nico] Marquardt agree that if the asteroid does collide with earth, it will create a ball of iron and iridium 320 metres (1049 feet) wide and weighing 200 billion tonnes, which will crash into the Atlantic Ocean.
The shockwaves from that would create huge tsunami waves, destroying both coastlines and inland areas, whilst creating a thick cloud of dust that would darken the skies indefinitely.
While the Earth has twenty years until the asteroid strike, space agencies should begin working immediately on contigency plans for diverting the asteroid.
This isn’t something that can be passed along to the future.
This is something that needs to be dealt with. Now.
The 1-in-450 number is now in dispute:
http://gizmodo.com/380704/nasa-to-doomsday-asteroid-student-shut-up-dimwit
I have to admit — I’m not sure how or why a possible satellite impact in 2029 would make it a virtual certainty that there would be an impact in 2036.
Still, that’s no reason not to observe the asteroid and — if necessary — formulate plans for dealing with it.