Mark your calendars.... April 13, 2029 is the date that asteroid 2004 MN4 — a quarter-mile wide chunk of rock — may hit the earth. (Of course, it's already got a Wikipedia entry!) If you're wondering if that is a Friday, I checked already; it is.
The risk rating for asteroid 2004 MN4 was raised Friday by NASA and a separate group of researchers in Italy. The asteroid's chance for hitting Earth on April 13, 2029 has now been categorized as a 4 on the Torino Scale. The level 4 rating -- never before issued -- is reserved for "events meriting concern" versus the vast majority of potentially threatening asteroids that merely merit "careful monitoring."
The Christmas Eve announcement was unusual in that the the Torino Scale rating went up, from 2 to 4. Most asteroids tend to drop on the scale following further examination.
I wonder if Bruce Willis has been put on alert yet.
From a Space.com story. [Gadgetopia]
It's got a 1 in 45 chance of hitting Earth, but a few days ago it was 1 in 234. It's not a good sign when the odds of something happening get better with time.
9:07:03 PM 
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