From whom?zuz said:
Who?zuz said:
No matter how it is broken apart, it would represent a huge amount of energy and heat. If a lot of pieces burn up in the atmosphere, it could be like a lot of atom bombs going off.zuz said:
Neil Degrasse tyson, and if you haven't heard of Apophis by now, I suggest you read a little more astrophysicist news.Vanadium 50 said:
What I'm saying is if you nuked the thing, it wouldn't break in two. It would explode into many pieces. Some the size of houses, sure, but many more the size of baseballs and small cars.Vanadium 50 said:
Please do not get defensive when someone asks you for specifics. Many of us (including myself) will read your post who have never heard of Apophis. We should make every effort to be precise and to use valid references.zuz said:
Not a good analogy and not a good place to wing it. If you do the math the difference will become clear.zuz said:
Good point. But it is not the number that counts, it is the energy. The muzzle velocity of a bullet typically ranges between 800 t0 2,000 mph (see this). A typical Earth-crossing asteroid could be traveling at around 50,000 mph (see this). That is their speed after falling toward the Sun to a distance matching the Earth's orbit. Remembering that the energy of an object is proportional to velocity squared, an asteroid of the same mass as a bullet would have between ##62.5^2=3,906## and ##25^2 = 625## times more energy than the bullet. The Apophis asteroid that you referred to is estimated to have a mass of ##6 x 10^{10}## kg (see this). You can estimate the energy of that asteroid, but here is some information. It is in terms of the energy in units of megatons of TNT. 1,200 megatons of TNT. That is about 50 time more powerful than the most powerful nuclear bomb ever developed by the U.S., the B41.zuz said:
Good luck! Toodles!zuz said:
zuz said:
I went to an astro physics lecture one night. I heard there was going to be a leading expert speaking.The Rose Bowl stadium is approximately 100 meters in diameter. An asteroid the size of the Rose Bowl would also be around this diameter, making it significant enough to cause regional damage if it were to impact Earth.
In scientific terms, "a slight chance" refers to a low probability, often quantified in specific terms by astronomers using observations and predictive models. For asteroids, this might be expressed as a percentage or a rating on the Torino Scale, which gauges the potential hazard of near-Earth objects.
An asteroid about 100 meters in diameter could release energy equivalent to several megatons of TNT, leading to significant destruction in the immediate area of impact. The effects could include massive shockwaves, heat radiation, and depending on the location, tsunamis or other large-scale geological disturbances.
Scientists use various methods to detect and track asteroids, including ground-based telescopes and radar systems. Space-based telescopes can also spot these objects by detecting the sunlight they reflect. Once detected, their orbits are calculated and monitored to assess any potential threat to Earth.
If an asteroid is found to be on a collision course with Earth, potential mitigation strategies might include deflecting the asteroid using a spacecraft impactor, gravitational tractor, or other means to alter its trajectory. International cooperation and timely intervention are crucial to implement such measures effectively.