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Space & Planetary Science

Asteroid Impact Preview

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
December 28, 2004

Possibility of an Earth Impact in 2029 Ruled Out for Asteroid 2004 MN4

“Over the past week, several independent efforts were made to search for pre-discovery observations of 2004 MN4. These efforts proved successful today when Jeff Larsen and Anne Descour of the Spacewatch Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, were able to detect and measure very faint images of asteroid 2004 MN4 on archival images dating to 15 March 2004. These observations extended the observed time interval for this asteroid by three months allowing an improvement in its orbit so that an Earth impact on 13 April 2029 can now be ruled out.”

NOAA Reacts Quickly to Tsunami

“A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by any rapid large-scale disturbance of the sea water. Most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes, but they may also be caused by volcanic eruptions, landslides, undersea slumps or meteor impacts.”


Editor’s note: If you want an idea of what an ocean impact of a small asteroid might look like in terms of the tsunami it might generate, take the time to view the Quicktime animation featured in this NOAA press release.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.