NASA has released a map outlining the possible impact regions if the asteroid 2024 YR4 collides with Earth. The agency has identified a 'risk corridor' spanning from South America across the Pacific Ocean, through Asia, the Arabian Sea, and finally reaching Africa. The asteroid, classified as a high-risk object due to its size and potential for devastation, is estimated to be 40 to 100 meters wide. Scientists are working on developing planetary defense strategies, including asteroid deflection missions and the controversial option of using a nuclear explosion to avert a catastrophic impact.
NASA has revealed a map outlining the potential impact zones if the 'city killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 strikes Earth. This asteroid, discovered in 2024 and classified as a high-risk object, is estimated to be between 40 and 100 meters wide. Upon impact, it could create a city-sized crater, posing a significant threat to life and infrastructure. David Rankin, an engineer with NASA 's Catalina Sky Survey Project, has mapped a 'risk corridor' indicating the possible trajectory of the asteroid.
Their calculations suggest the impact could occur within a band stretching from South America across the Pacific Ocean, through southern Asia, the Arabian Sea, and finally reaching Africa. Global space agencies are actively preparing for potential asteroid deflection missions. China's aerospace engineering mission control, for instance, is recruiting graduate scientists to advance asteroid monitoring and develop early warning systems. The urgency of the situation is underscored by Dr. Robin George Andrews, a science writer, who emphasizes the need for extensive planning and resources for a successful asteroid deflection mission. He highlights the limited time available and the insufficient data on 2024 YR4's characteristics to make informed planetary defense decisions. One proposed strategy for averting a disaster involves detonating a nuclear bomb near the asteroid. Dr. Andrews suggests that this option, while seemingly controversial, could be more effective than the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission. The European Union-funded NEO Shield consortium acknowledges that a nuclear detonation would be a last resort. The concept of using a nuclear weapon in space, often depicted in popular culture through films like Armageddon, is a serious consideration for scientists. A carefully planned explosion near the asteroid's surface aims to shatter it into smaller fragments that would subsequently burn up in the Earth's atmosphere
Asteroid 2024 YR4 NASA Impact Risk Planetary Defense Asteroid Deflection
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