Asteroid threat to Earth in 2036 ?

The United Nations will shortly be asked to take on a new and unfamiliar mission - to save the Earth not from drought, war or disease, but from the cataclysm that could occur after a direct hit by an asteroid. A group of former astronauts and cosmonauts is warning that at least one asteroid is on a path that could see it collide with our planet in 2036. They say work should begin on considering a strategy to protect humankind from this and other asteroids.Specifically, members of the Association of Space Explorers are planning meetings over the next two years - to be attended by diplomats, astronomers, astronauts and engineers - to draft an international treaty to address the threat. It will be presented to the UN for adoption in 2009."You have to act when things look like they are going to happen. If you wait until you know for certain, it's too late," Russell Schweickart, an Apollo 9 astronaut, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco. "We believe there needs to be a decision process spelled out and adopted by the UN."

Congress recently instructed Nasa to increase its efforts to identify asteroids that could threaten Earth. The agency is monitoring the paths of 127 "near-Earth objects" that may strike the planet.An asteroid named Apophis risks passing very close to Earth on 13 April, 2036. Astronomers warn there is a one in 45,000 chance of a direct hit. Its impact would wipe out an area the size of England.