Are we really certain whether or not some of our political leaders are Martians? I' m not just saying that because I read it in the Enquirer. I mean think about it. May be that the ones living in this particular area of the planet saw this coming a real long time ago (after all their technology is supposed to be highly superior to ours right?) So anyway, these Martian astronomers are looking up in the heavens one day, see this asteroid and look at each other and say, "Well, there goes the neighborhood!". Then they "pack their bags" (or whatever it is Martians use when traveling) and come here and assume postions of power all across the globe. Sound far fetched? Hey, look who's been living in the White House over the past seven years! It would certainly explain a lot.

Thanks, SugarM. And I wish you a happy and prosperous new year. I've just got a feeling it's going to be a good one.

Haven't had the chance to wish you and yours a belated Merry Christmas, but I AM in time to wish you a happy new year and joyous stargazing. The night sky of about the past few days has been amazing!

Better the Martians than us. ;>)

Chance of Asteroid Hit on Mars Increases
By ALICIA CHANG – 5 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chance of a football field-sized asteroid plowing into Mars next month has been increased to 4 percent, scientists said Friday after analyzing archival data.
Though still a long shot, some researchers are hoping for a cosmic smash.
"I think it'll be cool," said Don Yeomans, who heads the Near-Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Usually when an asteroid is headed toward Earth, I'm not rooting for an impact."
The space rock, known as the nondescript 2007 WD5, was discovered in late November by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona. Based on the latest information available, scientists said last week there was a 1-in-75 chance the asteroid could hit Mars on Jan. 30.
The odds were increased to 1-in-25 this week after a Ph.D. student pored through the archives and plotted the asteroid's motions before its official discovery. The new information allowed scientists to improve their calculations of the asteroid's orbit and flight path.
Scientists will continue to monitor the asteroid to better predict the possibility of a Martian impact. Yeomans said he expects the odds to decrease with new observations gathered early next year.
The likelihood of an asteroid hit usually "peaks before plummeting to zero with additional data," he said.
The asteroid poses no threat to Earth and is closing in on the Red Planet at 27,900 mph.
Should a collision occur, it would likely blast a half-mile-wide crater north of where the rover Opportunity has been exploring since 2004.
The impact could release energy similar to the 1908 Tunguska object that exploded over remote central Siberia and wiped out 60 million trees.

Well, I believe that no one would tell us if it were hurtling toward earth and the great Armageddon was here.  It would be best for all of us to know in advance but noone seems to be worried.  Isn't that lovely?  Perhaps after it misses Mars someone will go, "wait a minute".  I edited this....  If it misses Mars, be prayed up.  Maybe this isn't the great "Nibiru" (Nostradamus) or "Wormwood" (Bible).  If it hits us, oh no.  Things are in the works this year.  Anything could happen.   In retrospect, I hope it DOES hit Mars.  

From what I've read, it appears the asteroid would pass between Mars and Earth, missing us. Thank goodness for that. That thing could make quite a mess.

If the asteroid does not hit Mars, is there any probability that it could hit Earth?