Being eliminated by a massive space rock that hits the earth from miles per hour may sound like a plot worthy of a Hollywood movie.
But a recently discovered space rock, called 2024 years 4, really goes towards us.
Only discovered at the end of last year, 2024 years 4 is between 130 and 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) in diameter, most likely larger than the statue of freedom.
Last week, scientists improved the risk that 2024 years will reach the Earth to 1 in 43 (2.3 percent), with an impact date of December 22, 2032.
Now, in a Chilling update in xA Cube scientist who “could not be able to prevent 2024 years” to hit the earth, even with a deflection mission.
Dr. Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author with headquarters in London, points out that “we have less than eight years to deal with that.”
“You need 10 years or more to build, plan and execute a asteroid deflection mission,” he said.
‘We don’t have much time.’
Currently, scientists predict that the asteroid of 90 meters wide (300 feet) 2024 years is a probability of one in 43 of hitting the earth in 2032. If it does, it would cause generalized damage to a populated area
Dr. Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author with headquarters in London, Cube: “We could not be able to stop 2024 years 4”
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NASA’s asteroid redirection test mission (Dart), surely one of its best feats in history, demonstrated how a space rock could be thrown from a collision course with the earth colliding a spacecraft towards it.
The Dart spacecraft was launched from California in November 2021 and completed its 10 -month trip when it reached the Dimorphos asteroids on September 26, 2022.
Dimorphos, around 560 feet in diameter, orbit a larger asteroid called Didmos, which are about 6.8 million miles from our planet.
The collision shortened the orbit of Dimorphos in more than half an hour, which makes it an even greater success than NASA had anticipated.
However, neither dimorphs nor their did we represent any danger to the earth; Instead, Dart was the essay of what may be required if a space rock one day threatens our planet.
Although he acknowledged Dart ‘worked wonders’, Dr. Andrews said that ‘we could not stop 2024 years’ comparable.
“It does not mean that we can use kinetic impactors like this to divert any asteroid whenever we want,” he said.
“So much could go wrong if we tried to hit him with something like Dart.”
On average, the land is affected by a football launch rock every 5,000 years, and an asteroid that finishes civilization every million years, according to the program of objects close to the land of NASA
NASA has already reached an enormously important milestone with the Dart Asteroid Deflection mission. In September 2022, the Dart spacecraft intentionally crashed in Dimorphos, an asteroid at 6.8 million miles away
Dimorphos’ space rock is shown here as seen by the Dart 11 seconds spacecraft before impact
The majority of asteroids are not solid rock, but ‘lots of rubble’: groups of loose rocks, stones and area joined by the weak mutual gravity of space.
At the moment, we do not know the exact size of 2024 years4, or even if it is also an asteroid of the rubble battery, but hit the asteroids of the rubble battery with a spacecraft such as Dart could generate a cloud of networks that They could go to Earth anyway.
“Nobody wants to” accidentally “an asteroid” accidentally “because those components can still go to Earth,” said Dr. Andrews.
There is also the possibility that a gigantic spatial effort comparable to Dart does not even alter the asteroid path.
“With just a few years later, we could accidentally divert it, but not enough to avoid the planet,” added the expert.
“Then, the earth still hits, only in another place that was not going to be beaten.”
He added: ‘I am not saying a kinetic impactor mission, or missions, it could not work.
“But we don’t have much time, and we don’t have enough information about this asteroid that fades quickly to adequately inform our planetary defense decisions.”
Asteroid 2024 years 4 is approximately the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in registered history when it was shot through the atmosphere of the Earth in 1908, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 km square km ) Forest (in the photo)
It is worth remembering that 2024 years 4 has a possibility of 1 in 43 (2.3 percent) of affecting the land in December 2032.
Dr. Andrews emphasized that “the probabilities of an impact remain low”, comparing the situation with having 43 buttons in front of you and are asked to press one of them.
“I don’t think you worry,” he said in a companion Blog.
“When more observations enter, it is possible that the probabilities of impact collapse to a zero since the orbit of the asteroid is more precisely outline.”
If your impact point is in the middle of a desert, or in the ocean, “it will not damage anyone”, but if it hits a city or city, “it will destroy much.”
On average, the land is affected by a rock size of a football launch every 5,000 years, and an asteroid that finishes civilization every million years, according to the program of objects close to the land of NASA.
Last year, a NASA report discovered that we are poorly prepared for an asteroid collision, even if we detect the object 14 years in advance.
It is believed that asteroid 2024 years 4 is at least the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which had an estimated diameter of 130 feet, according to NASA.
Tunguska caused the largest impact event in the history registered when it was shot through the atmosphere of the Earth in 1908, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 km square) of forest.
Many lost their conscience and at least three people died as a direct consequence of the Tunguska event, according to a 2019 study.
