NEWS

Dateline, Paterson, NJ:  Jason Smith, a reporter for the Armaggedon News, announced today that he has some classified information that reveals the real mission of NEAR Shoemaker. Apparently there is now scientific evidence that Eros is actually a real threat to earth and is expected to hit our planet sometime in 2005. This means that the NEAR mission is not really just a scientific mission, but is actually carrying an explosive device designed to change Eros's travel plans. (Rumor had it that NEAR was being piloted by Captain Bruce Willis, but that turned out to be false.)

Mr. Jason Smith is currently visiting schools involved in the Rendezvous with Eros collabrative project to see if this leaked document has any merit.
 

Mr. Capozzi discusses with his class the possibility that an asteroid can strike the earth. (Public School 2, Paterson, NJ)

Here are the current positions of the planets and Eros  (as of Feb. 6th, 2001).

(source: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db?name=433)

The distances from Eros to the earth and sun are:
Earth distance: 2.103 AU
Sun distance: 1.46 AU
(1 AU = 1 Astronomical Unit = 149,597,871 kilometers)

Can you come up with any evidence that indicates whether NEAR Shoemaker will or will not strike the earth in 2005?
If so, please send your analysis to Mr. Smith c/o icharisc@stevens-tech.edu