What Would Happen If an Asteroid Was Heading Towards Earth?

💥Detecting and tracking asteroids is essential for preventing potential impacts and protecting life on Earth.

🛰️Technologies like kinetic impactors and gravitational tractors can be used to change the course of threatening asteroids.

🚀NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a mission that aims to test the kinetic impactor technique.

🔭Amateur astronomers play a significant role in detecting and tracking near-earth asteroids.

🌍Currently, we have only detected about 1% of the total population of potentially dangerous near-earth asteroids.

What would we do if an asteroid was heading towards Earth?

—If an asteroid was heading towards Earth, we would need to detect it, track its trajectory, and find a way to deflect it or mitigate its impact. Technologies like kinetic impactors and gravitational tractors can be used to change the course of threatening asteroids.

What is NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)?

—NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a mission that aims to test the kinetic impactor technique. It involves crashing a spacecraft into a non-threatening asteroid to assess the effectiveness of changing its course.

Who detects and tracks asteroids?

—Astronomers, both amateur and professional, play a crucial role in detecting and tracking asteroids. Amateur astronomers contribute significantly to the science of astronomy and the tracking of near-earth objects.

How many asteroids have been detected so far?

—As of November 2021, we have only detected about 1% of the total population of potentially dangerous near-earth asteroids. It is essential to step up our efforts to discover and track asteroids to protect life on Earth.

Can we prevent asteroid impacts?

—While no known asteroid larger than 140 meters has a significant chance of impacting Earth in the next 100 years, it is crucial to detect and track asteroids to mitigate potential threats. Technologies like kinetic impactors and gravitational tractors provide potential methods for asteroid deflection.

00:05Introduction to the topic of what would happen if an asteroid was heading towards Earth.

00:22Overview of planetary defense and mitigation solutions for asteroids.

00:52Explanation of the importance of understanding the nature of asteroids before deciding on the correct strategy to deflect them or minimize damage.

05:53Discussion on the current detectability of asteroids and the need to improve our discovery efforts.

07:26Exploration of the most viable options for asteroid deflection, including kinetic impactors and gravitational tractors.

08:07Introduction to NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which aims to test the kinetic impactor technique.

09:21Explanation of the planned impact of the DART spacecraft on the Didymos asteroid system and its potential to alter the orbit.

09:48Discussion on the importance of detecting and tracking asteroids, as well as the current progress in asteroid discovery.