Post by Andrei Tchentchik on Sept 4, 2020 17:06:52 GMT 2
(.#515).- Earth, increased risk of being hit by an asteroid.
The Earth is increasingly at risk of being hit by an asteroid.
07/06/2017
AFP
Archives
A study by the Czech Academy of Sciences highlights the risks caused by a recently discovered branch of stars.
NASA / REUTERS
Earth is increasingly at risk of being hit by an asteroid
ESPACE - Astronomers from the Czech Academy of Sciences spoke on Tuesday (June 6th) of the higher risk for Earth to be hit by an asteroid, urging research to avoid "local or even continental disaster".
The asteroids in question come from a recently discovered branch of the Taurids, shooting stars of a meteoric swarm appearing regularly in the sky.
The study strongly recommends that further research be carried out to "better describe this real source of potentially dangerous objects, large enough to cause local or even continental disaster".
The new branch includes objects moving together around the Sun. Earth meets them once every few years, for a period of about three weeks. "During this period, the probability of a collision with a large object (about dozens of meters in diameter) is clearly higher," the Czech Academy said in a press release.
The scientists drew their conclusions after analyzing 144 racing cars - large bright meteors - within the Taurides and detecting this new branch comprising at least two asteroids 200 to 300 meters in diameter.
"Most likely, the branch also includes a number of undetected asteroids, ten meters in diameter or larger," said the Academy in a press release. "Hence the risk of a collision with an asteroid which obviously increases when the Earth encounters this swarm of interplanetary matter, every few years", according to this text.
Asteroids are very fragile, but when they are so large they can penetrate deep into the atmosphere and create a real threat of collision with the Earth, scientists say.
F I N .
The Earth is increasingly at risk of being hit by an asteroid.
07/06/2017
AFP
Archives
A study by the Czech Academy of Sciences highlights the risks caused by a recently discovered branch of stars.
NASA / REUTERS
Earth is increasingly at risk of being hit by an asteroid
ESPACE - Astronomers from the Czech Academy of Sciences spoke on Tuesday (June 6th) of the higher risk for Earth to be hit by an asteroid, urging research to avoid "local or even continental disaster".
The asteroids in question come from a recently discovered branch of the Taurids, shooting stars of a meteoric swarm appearing regularly in the sky.
The study strongly recommends that further research be carried out to "better describe this real source of potentially dangerous objects, large enough to cause local or even continental disaster".
The new branch includes objects moving together around the Sun. Earth meets them once every few years, for a period of about three weeks. "During this period, the probability of a collision with a large object (about dozens of meters in diameter) is clearly higher," the Czech Academy said in a press release.
The scientists drew their conclusions after analyzing 144 racing cars - large bright meteors - within the Taurides and detecting this new branch comprising at least two asteroids 200 to 300 meters in diameter.
"Most likely, the branch also includes a number of undetected asteroids, ten meters in diameter or larger," said the Academy in a press release. "Hence the risk of a collision with an asteroid which obviously increases when the Earth encounters this swarm of interplanetary matter, every few years", according to this text.
Asteroids are very fragile, but when they are so large they can penetrate deep into the atmosphere and create a real threat of collision with the Earth, scientists say.
F I N .
