The 13-year-old made international headlines recently when he supposedly spotted a NASA miscalculation on when a “killer” asteroid could/would collide with earth. NASA fired back today with, “This student's conclusion reportedly is based on the possibility of a collision with an artificial satellite during the asteroid's close approach in April 2029. However, the asteroid will not pass near the main belt of geosynchronous satellites in 2029, and the chance of a collision with a satellite is exceedingly remote. Therefore, consideration of this satellite collision scenario does not affect the current impact probability estimate for Apophis, which remains at 1 in 45,000.” Ouch, that stings.
Better luck next time, whiz kid!
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