NASA has issued a warning that Earth is vulnerable to a multitude of “city killer” asteroids that are currently untraceable. These 140m-wide rocks pose a significant threat, with the potential to cause substantial regional damage if they were to collide with a populated area on our planet.
Dr. Kelly Fast, the head of planetary defense at NASA, revealed that approximately 15,000 mid-sized asteroids, referred to as “city-killers,” remain unidentified. Experts have expressed concerns about Earth’s lack of defense mechanisms against these asteroids in the event of a potential impact.
Dr. Nancy Chabot, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, spearheaded NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The mission involved intentionally crashing a 610kg spacecraft into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos at a speed of 14,000mph, successfully altering its orbit. While this mission showcased a method to safeguard Earth, there are currently no other spacecraft available for similar future missions.
Dr. Chabot expressed concerns about the lack of preparedness for dealing with city killer asteroids, emphasizing the absence of immediate resources like DART for potential threats. She highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of 50% of the 140-meter asteroids, underscoring the need for better asteroid tracking and deflection capabilities.
During a presentation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Arizona, Dr. Kelly Fast emphasized her concerns about medium-sized asteroids. She stressed the urgency of identifying and monitoring these asteroids, as they pose a significant risk due to their potential for causing regional damage.
According to Dr. Fast, the primary worry lies with asteroids in the 140-meter range and larger, as they have the capacity to inflict regional devastation. With an estimated 25,000 of these asteroids yet to be located, only about 40% of the search has been completed, indicating a pressing need to intensify efforts in asteroid detection and tracking.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Fast underscored the importance of continued vigilance and improved telescope technology to enhance the detection of potentially hazardous asteroids.
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