Friday the 13th, 2029

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The trajectory (blue) of asteroid 2004 MN4 past Earth on April 13, 2029. Uncertainty in the asteroid's close-approach distance i
by Dr. Tony Phillips
Asteroid 2004 MN4 will come scarily close to Earth on April 13, 2029, but it will not hit

Friday the 13th is supposed to be an unlucky day, the sort of day you trip on your shoe laces or lose your wallet or get bad news.
But maybe it's not so bad. Consider this: On April 13th--Friday the 13th--2029, millions of people are going to go outside, look up and marvel at their good luck. A point of light will be gliding across the sky, faster than many satellites, brighter than most stars.
What's so lucky about that? It's asteroid 2004 MN4 ... not hitting Earth.


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