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Asteroid 2004 XP14 may be almost half a million kilometres away, but an Australian astronomer says there is a chance it could one day collide with Earth.
But he says the planet is safe for at least another century.
"This asteroid could potentially one day collide with earth," said Rob McNaught, who is one of only two astronomers in the southern hemisphere carrying out systematic surveys on comets and asteroids.
"The orbit of the asteroid and the orbit of the earth form a crossroad, so there's a point in space where the two orbits intersect.
"But certainly within the next 100 years there's no possibility of it colliding with Earth."
NineMsn News
But he says the planet is safe for at least another century.
"This asteroid could potentially one day collide with earth," said Rob McNaught, who is one of only two astronomers in the southern hemisphere carrying out systematic surveys on comets and asteroids.
"The orbit of the asteroid and the orbit of the earth form a crossroad, so there's a point in space where the two orbits intersect.
"But certainly within the next 100 years there's no possibility of it colliding with Earth."
NineMsn News
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