Where are the Dinosaur Killers?

Most of the Asteroids orbit between the planets Mars and Jupiter. Some asteroids have a wildly elliptical orbit which brings them across the orbit of our planet. One day one of these wayward rock could destroy life on Earth.

The most dangerous asteroids are tracked to find out what they are doing. The orbits of the asteroids do not always stay the same; gravitational interactions with the planets can nudge their orbits. And every now and then a previously undiscovered asteroid crosses the Earth's path.

You can make a computer model of the orbits of the asteroids using a spreadsheet. Download one here (170KB xls file)

Alternatively print out this datasheet and graph (222KB Word doc.)

Click on the asteroids below to find out data about their orbits. You may have to convert some of the data before you put it into the spreadsheet.

When you have created your model, use it to find out where the greatest asteroid of them all is here

Check if any of these asteroids are near the Earth now here