Near-Earth Asteroid Threats

[atomic7732]

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

2007 VK184

Impact Probablility: 3.4×10^-4

Diameter: .13 km

Torino Scale: 1

4 Probable impacts between 2048 and 2057

[hbmp88]

Couldn't we just nuke them?

[atomic7732]

No, then if it fails we have a radioactive meteor storm coming at us.

The best way is the sails. Or blow up bombs near it. Or just put a spacecraft near it, and the slight gravity, will change it's stojectory to miss us.

[hbmp88]

Then use regular bombs or if we have the technology then antimatter bombs.

[atomic7732]

Bombs near it.

[Dan Dixon]

Couldn't we just nuke them?

The other problem is that if you blow up an incoming asteroid, then instead of a single body hitting the Earth you have hundreds of smaller bodies hitting the Earth.

Try this in Universe Sandbox...
- Open up Earth & Moon
- Select "Asteroid" from the preset list under New Bodies
- Shoot an asteroid at the Earth
- Right click on the asteroid
- Set the explode value to 1 km/s (you may want to experiment with different values)
- and then click "Explode"

[Bla]

Couldn't we just nuke them?

The other problem is that if you blow up an incoming asteroid, then instead of a single body hitting the Earth you have hundreds of smaller bodies hitting the Earth.

Try this in Universe Sandbox...
- Open up Earth & Moon
- Select "Asteroid" from the preset list under New Bodies
- Shoot an asteroid at the Earth
- Right click on the asteroid
- Set the explode value to 1 km/s (you may want to experiment with different values)
- and then click "Explode"

But if we destroy it before it hits the atmosphere, won't the smaller pieces burn up when they enter the atmosphere?

[hbmp88]

I saw a movie I think called deep impact. It's about an asteroid coming to hit earth, they keep it secret til its about to hit then evacuate people underground. A spaceship drills bombs into the asteroid and explodes it but they become 2 pieces. One is destoyed by the spaceship because its full with nuclear bombs, the other hits earth. But the one destroyed ends up creating beautiful meteor showers after the first nearly kills everyone by causing a huge tsunami.