Futurism logo

How Much Our Earth Is Ready To Prevent Future Asteroid Collisions?

What is the origin of the various deadly asteroids rushing towards the earth? How can they be dealt with?

By Shoaib RahmanPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
1
How Much Our Earth Is Ready To Prevent Future Asteroid Collisions?
Photo by Bryan Goff on Unsplash

Stephen Hawking once said, "A universe is a violent place. The stars devour the planets, the giant nebulae in the universe emit deadly rays, the black holes collide with each other, and the asteroids move around at hundreds of miles per second. "

Of course, we need to be more vigilant as a result of these events in the universe. We have to try to be technologically prepared to prevent the extinction of human beings in the world. In particular, it is necessary to create a suitable environment for living on other planets and to develop technical systems. We no longer have any defense against an asteroid collision.

Our defense against asteroid collisions

The last such major collision occurred about 6 million years ago. It is thought to have killed the dinosaur species, and there is no reason why it should not happen again. This is not science fiction, it is confirmed by the laws of physics and probability.

Scientists are working hard in danger of the asteroid crashing into Earth. The fear is not that there was not before. Due to technological advances, four asteroids are now discovered every day. So far, about 19,000 cosmic objects have been identified, which could pose a threat to the planet. The number is growing.

Elon Musk, CEO of spacecraft maker SpaceX, predicts that a giant asteroid will hit Earth and wipe out human civilization, and we have no way to stop it. However, many astronomers do not accept his statement.

According to Elon Musk, a huge asteroid will hit Earth and wipe out human civilization.

However, we have witnessed many such incidents over human history. The dinosaur species became extinct 6 million years ago when a meteorite struck the Earth. On June 30, 1908, a massive asteroid struck the deep jungles of Siberia, Russia, destroying 60 square kilometers of forest.

Another such large asteroid entered the atmosphere of Chelyabinsk, Russia. However, it was destroyed before it hit the earth, but as it entered the atmosphere, it became brighter than the sun, and its heat damaged about 6,000 buildings, injuring thousands of people. So it is understandable how much destruction a large asteroid will cause if it hits our earth.

Scientists now say they have found the world's largest crater caused by an asteroid impact in central Australia. They say such a huge hole was born 300 million years ago in the Warburton region when a pair of asteroids hit it. The newly discovered crater has a diameter of about 400 km.

It is 100 km larger than the Vredfort Crater in South Africa. Geologist Glixon and his team are still researching the site. They hope to be able to provide more new information soon. So, Elon Musk's prediction is not very unreasonable.

The Approaching Dangers

Every day innumerable asteroids come towards the earth. Much of it is destroyed by atmospheric friction. However, some large asteroids cannot be ignited by the friction of the atmosphere, so they crash into the Earth's crust. Their rapid dynamic collapse also created huge holes in the earth's surface. Larger asteroids can also cause terrible earthquakes. 

That's why scientists keep an eye out for these huge asteroids. Every moment we have to keep an eye on whether an asteroid is coming towards the earth or not. For this, NASA is adopting double awareness. is now very much aware of this. It is thought that the catastrophe might not be so catastrophic if NASA continued its activities properly.

According to scientists, there are currently 2,000 potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). For example, an asteroid named after the Egyptian god of chaos Apophis would dangerously pass very close to Earth. This asteroid will pass only 19,000 miles from the earth's surface. On April 13, 2029, bright light will shine across the sky. At present, the asteroid is slowly becoming brighter. At one time it would look like a bright star. 

The 1,060-foot-wide asteroid is less likely to cause damage to Earth. On the contrary, there may be some benefits. Marina Brazovic, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said the asteroid's approach to Earth in 2029 is a great opportunity for science. It will be reviewed with optical and radar telescopes. It is rare for such a large asteroid to pass close to Earth. According to scientists, the risk of apocalypse affecting the world is small.

On September 25, 2135, the asteroid Bennu will come out close to the Earth. There is no way to stop it. That is what NASA said. There are also fears of 'terrible' damage if it hits the earth. Scientists say that Benu is constantly rushing towards the earth. It is larger than the Empire State Building in the United States. Its capacity is 1,200 megatons. The Benu is capable of causing 70,000 times more damage than the Hiroshima bomb. NASA scientists say even the most advanced technology could fail to resist the asteroid Benu. In that case, nuclear detonation may be the best way.

In addition to Benu, scientists are trying to find ways to change the direction of possible Earth-oriented asteroids. For this, a spacecraft named 'HAMMER' is being planned. The purpose of this vehicle is to turn the Earth towards the asteroid. However, it is quite a matter of time. In the words of physicist David Dearborn, 'If an asteroid is small and its arrival is known in time, it can be prevented by using spacecraft. But without enough time, there will be no way out without a nuclear explosion.'

On September 25, 2135, the asteroid Benu will come out close to the Earth

The Hopes

NASA has unveiled a comprehensive defense strategy plan on how to prevent asteroids from approaching Earth. NASA researchers say that near-Earth objects, or NEOs, are usually burned up in the Earth's atmosphere. From 1994 to 2013, NASA observed 558 incidents. Researchers have adopted a program called the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), through which space research agencies will monitor near-Earth objects around the Earth. 

The U.S. government has dubbed the project the "National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan." NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will work on the project for the next 10 years. Scientists are working on five special purposes.

The first objective is to identify, track, and analyze asteroids near Earth, reducing current uncertainties. NASA has built many observatories around the world to analyze asteroids. For example, the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, Arizona, USA, the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii, and many more have been set up to observe asteroids. 

Several space missions have also observed asteroids. The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft landed on Eros, an asteroid near Earth, in 2001. Then, the spacecraft traveled to the asteroid belt in 2011 and studied the orbit of Vesta, the second-largest object there. Vesta is so big that it looks like a small planet. Leaving Vesta in 2012, the largest object in the asteroid belt, the dwarf, went into orbit around the planet Ceres.

NASA has built many observatories around the world to analyze asteroids.

In 2016, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study an asteroid near the Earth called Bennu and bring the asteroid sample back to Earth. In 2016, Osiris-Rex went into orbit around Bennu. Bennu is the smallest object ever orbiting a spacecraft. Osiris-Rex will spend two years studying the surface of Bennu, looking for the best place to take a sample.

The second purpose is to analyze, predict, and aggregate Near-Earth objects. All this information will predict all the organizations on the earth - which asteroid will hit the earth and when and where the incoming asteroid can hit. Federal Emergency management teams "FEMA" will immediately decide what can be done based on this information. Take special action with various space research agencies and governments in case of emergency and inform them about its impact on the earth. 

Considering the size of the asteroid and its impact on the Earth, it has set long-term goals to protect the Earth. These include projects such as the invention of astronomical orbiting technology. Researchers at NASA say they are working with the European Space Agency on the idea of ​​a technology to orbit the asteroid. NASA is trying to get funding for this mission.

The third purpose is to find a new way for NASA to move a large cosmic object to Earth. The "Double Asteroid Redirection Test" (DART) mission has been created for this purpose. In case of an emergency, scientists want to change the orbit of the asteroid to avoid collisions Their goal is to make the spacecraft weighing a few tons work harder Although the mass of such a vehicle is relatively small, it can establish a gravitational relationship with the asteroid, As a result, the orbit of the asteroid may change a little

Hayabusa 2 was launched on December 3, 2014, from the Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Osumi in southern Japan. On June 26, 2016, it reached the asteroid Ryugur. Research work begins. Hayabusa 2 has four rovers. It is right that they will go down to the four places of the asteroid and collect samples and take pictures. Japan successfully unmanned or unmanned rover on the asteroid. 

After the Hayabusa-2 spacecraft was separated from the spacecraft, two space mission robots or rovers have successfully landed. Minerva-II is still the world's first rover to land on an asteroid.

The statement added that the two rovers were in good condition and had sent various information and pictures of the universe to Earth shortly after landing. The Ryugu asteroid, which looks like a diamond block, contains a lot of minerals, which could give a lot of important information about the origin of our solar system, which was formed millions of years ago. 

Astronomers have already begun experimenting and researching with that information and images. 'Hayabusa' in Japanese means hawk and 'Ryugu' is the dragon palace underwater. In Japanese mythology, the fisherman Urashima Taro brings a magic box from that palace. With the success of Hayabusa 2, scientists are convinced that in the future, if necessary, they can strike asteroids or explode and change course.

The Minerva-1 rover is still the first rover in the world to land on an asteroid

NASA has planned an experimental exercise in 2020 to hit the asteroid with the help of a deadly spacecraft. This is the fourth purpose. The European and American space agencies are attacking twin asteroids called Didymos and Didymoon. The goal of this mission is to observe the entire process of a spacecraft asteroid and collect samples. A second vehicle weighing 330 kilograms, Dedimun, will attack asteroid 6 It's like playing billiards in space!

How much will the orbits of the two asteroids change as a result? Researchers at the Ernst-Mach Institute in Freiburg, Germany, are simulating a high-speed artillery launch. In this case, cannons are being fired at the sandstone as a target, as in space, 6 is being hit at a speed of about 10,000 kilometers per second The impact of the retaliatory blow is almost doubled by the impact of the rocks. 

Frank Schaefer, a scientist at the institute, said: "In this case, the momentum transfer is visible due to the impact of the satellite. On the other hand, due to the asteroid's components, additional momentum transfer is taking place As a result of the explosion, the pieces are running towards the hitter It's a lot like a jet engine moving backward and speeding up. "

However, in this process, it is possible to dislodge only relatively small solid objects. But the impact of an asteroid will be weakened if there are too many holes in the asteroid or if its size is too large. There will not always be much time on hand to change course Alan Harris of the German Aerospace Center thinks, "If a large cosmic object approaches the Earth and detects it too late, we have to use the latest tool." 

That means the atomic bomb must be applied However, if the luck is very bad, the 'shotgun effect' can be seen The explosion will then shatter the asteroid and scatter its fragments toward Earth. The consequences can be devastating. " Can we save the world from such an injury? Alan Harris is leading the European Union's 'New Shield' project While there is no threat of a "global killer" at the moment, a team of scientists led by him is working on a defense strategy.

The fifth and final purpose is to come up with a plan that will work if a large asteroid hits the earth - or if the earth collapses without warning. FEMA's role in such asteroid emergencies would be to alert everyone.

The US space agency NASA has sent a powerful telescope-equipped spacecraft, Voyager-1, into space to get accurate pictures of the planets and stars of the solar system. It has been able to take a rare picture of the planet from a 60M k.m. distance. 

It has been proven that the position of the earth in this huge universe is very small. In that picture, the earth looks like a faded blue dot. The dotted planet in the universe is currently suffering from a terrible existential crisis.

science
1

About the Creator

Shoaib Rahman

Shoaib Rahman (pseudonym) is an author, technology entrepreneur, screenwriter, and magazine editor. Rahman is the founder and editor-in-chief of the liberal magazine and publishing platform Fadew, and its parent holding company Fadew, Inc.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.