(99942) Apophis

NIALL FIRTH writes: British engineers have joined a competition to try and save the Earth from a catastrophic collision with an asteroid which could be heading our way.

Astronomers are monitoring an asteroid named Apophis, which has a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking Earth on April 13, 2036.

(This is a) 300-metre-wide asteroid and is still millions of kilometres away. But, in 2029, its orbit will take it worryingly close to Earth – closer than many satellites. When it does, its orbit around the Sun will be affected and just a tiny shift of just a few hundred kilometres could mean Apophis returns in 2036 to slam into Earth, creating unimaginable death and destruction.

UK-based space firm EADS Astrium has bid to develop a spacecraft, known as Apex, which would reach the asteroid in 2014.