ASTEROID SCARES OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

I look at these and wonder, "What government cock-up prompted this bit of reporting?"  Forgive me for scepticism.

1. Giant asteroid 'heading for Earth in 2182' - Telegraph

   29 Jul 2010 ... A giant asteroid called 1999 RQ36 may crash into Earth on September 24 2182, scientists believe.
   www.telegraph.co.uk/.../Giant-asteroid-heading-for-Earth-in-2182.html
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2. BBC News | World | Celestial bomb heading for Earth

   Celestial bomb heading for Earth A newly-discovered asteroid could be on a collision ... [ image: A meteorite found on Earth]. A meteorite found on Earth ...
   news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/64871.stm - Cached
3. CNN.com - Giant asteroid could hit Earth in 2014 - Sep. 2, 2003

   2 Sep 2003 ... A giant asteroid is heading for Earth and could hit in 2014, U.S. astronomers have warned British space monitors.
   www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/09/02/...reut/index.html - Cached - Similar
4. NASA - Is an Asteroid Heading Toward Mars?

   21 Dec 2007 ... Right now it's about halfway between Earth and Mars. It just flew by Earth in early November and it's heading toward an encounter with Mars ...
   www.nasa.gov/multimedia/.../jpl-mars-20071220.html - Cached - Similar
5. YouTube - AN ASTEROID IS HEADING FOR EARTH!

   30 Jul 2010 ... "1999 RQ36" As dubbed by NASA is heading for Earth! Well, scientists have said the asteroid, which is 560m across, could pass very closely ...
   www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLFfDRFmIbw - Cached
6. Mile-wide asteroid heading towards Earth poses greatest threat yet ...

   25 Jul 2002 ... An asteroid more than a mile wide is heading for earth, posing the greatest threat yet by an object approaching the planet, scientists have ...
   www.independent.co.uk › News › Science - Cached - Similar