An expert warns that scientists have limited time to deflect a football-pitch-sized asteroid, 2024 YR4, predicted to cross Earth's orbit in December 2032. The article discusses the challenges of deflecting asteroids, including the potential risks of fragmentation and the need for international cooperation to explore options like nuclear detonation or spacecraft missions.
SCIENTISTS do not have much time to deflect the asteroid a size of a football pitch that is hurtling towards Earth, an expert has warned.Asteroid 2024 YR4 as observed by the Magdalena Ridge 2.4m telescope at the New Mexico Institute of Technology on January 27, 2025Projections show its path could cross over with Earth's orbit around Christmas time in 2032 - specifically 5:25 am on Wednesday, December 22.
‘Emergency’ Nasa decision announced as odds on city-killer asteroid 2024YR4 smashing into Earth shorten AGAIN to 1-in-43could be like "turning a cannonball into a shotgun spray," increasing the possible devastation on Earth. He suggested that scientists may "break an awkward taboo" of using a nuclear weapon against 2024YR4 "which would provide a bigger punch than DART".
However, larger chunks could still be big enough to survive the atmosphere and rain down on a larger area of Earth. Several other options have been floated by scientists, including laser ablation and a MADMEN swarm of numerous spacecraft drilling into the rock and removing material to alter its mass and trajectory.Astronomer Dr David Whitehouse first noted the chances of a disastrous collision increasing as he said the asteroid is "unacceptable to ignore".
ASTEROID SPACE DEFLECTION NUCLEAR NASA
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