Earth may encounter with the asteroid in 55 years

The scientists calculated the probability of collision of the planet with the asteroid Apophis.
The asteroid Apophis, which is safely razminetsya with the Earth in 2029 and 2036, respectively, in 2068 may encounter with our planet, although the probability of this event is extremely small - no more than 2, 3 million, established specialists NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Hawaii and the University of Pisa .
"By studying the uncertainties associated with the change of the orbit after the rapprochement in 2029, we have identified the so-called" keyhole ", which are associated with collisions during future encounters. In particular, we found that there is a risk of collision with a probability of one in a million higher than in 2068, "- he said in an article prepared by a team led by David Farnokki Jet Propulsion Laboratory and published in the electronic library at Cornell University.
The asteroid (99942) Apophis (2004 MN4) measuring 325 meters was opened in 2004. The discovery caused a stir - calculations showed that there is a possibility of 2, 7%, Apophis, got its name in honor of the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction, will face Earth in 2029.
The researchers then eliminated this threat, it is estimated that the April 13, 2029 the asteroid will pass at a distance of 37, 6 thousand kilometers from the center of the Earth. However, it was found that after the "goodbye" in 2029 an asteroid could change its orbit so that the next time you return could collide with the Earth.
To do this, the asteroid at the time of convergence must go through a "keyhole" - a very narrow region of space. Previously it was thought that the passage of the asteroid through one of those "well" can cause it to fall to the ground in 2036, but in January, NASA specialists on the results of new observations have found that this risk is virtually eliminated, the probability of this event proved to be less than 1 per million.
Group Farnokki conducted new calculations which take into account the new data available, and found about 20 "keyholes" that lead to a collision of Apophis with the Earth in the future. Among them was one such "well" 2 meters wide, passing through which is a collision of Apophis with Earth April 12, 2068 with a probability of 2, 3 million.