Amid fears of global warming, terrorism, disease and nuclear war, another threat has emerged to our safety and security. Some have described this threat as "the destroyer who dwells in eternal darkness."

Those who refer to it as that are referring to an asteroid named Apophis, named after the Egyptian god Apep, that scientists briefly thought would hit the earth in the year 2029.

Turns out they were wrong [remember that fans of science who think scientists are always right!], but the asteroid will pass by earth closer to earth than the world's communications satellites do.

These scientists warn that a giant rock that is more than two miles across is large enough to wipe out most of humanity.

This should come as no consolation - the U.S. Congress has become interested in this threat. They have requested that scientists identify life-threatening asteroids.

Considering what Congress appears prepared to do to stop other threats, such as global warming, terrorism, disease and nuclear war, I wouldn't hold out too much hope for identifying those destroyers who dwell in the dark.

What do you think?