Asteroid 2012 DA14 is almost certainly not going to hit the Earth next February

[krispos42]

13. It depends on angles and velocity.

If the angle and velocity isn't right, it will whip past Earth. Earth will definitely affect its orbit, maybe even making a fairly radical change to the asteroid's path. But a collision is not mandatory.

And the trajectories of astronomical bodies are much more predicable than weather. Fewer interdependent variables!


The space probe Voyager 2 was launched in 1977 on a complex course to take it past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Voyager 2 whipped past Jupiter in 1979, changing course and picking up speed for Saturn. It came within 350,000 miles of Jupiter.

In 1981, it sailed past Saturn, bending course for Uranus.

In 1986, it arched past Uranus, bound for Neptune. It came within 51,000 miles of the planet.

In 1989, it flew past Neptune and is heading out of the Solar System. It brushed past a mere 3,000 miles above the planet's atmosphere.

Twelve years and a few billion miles of flight with very little control over trajectory... and they still managed to come within 3,000 miles of a planet.