The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan report warned an asteroid just 40metres to 60m-wide would be enough to cause unimaginable death and destruction.
Dire asteroid impact estimate maps show what would happen if such an asteroid struck in the heart of New York.
The resulting blast would completely level the neighbourhoods of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, New Rochdale, Jersey city and extend out into Staten Island, Paterson, Newark and White Plains.
Current NASA estimates suggest there are more than 300,000 objects larger than 40m orbiting the sun that could pose an impact hazard.
NASA’s stark map was drafted based on the 1908 Tunguska asteroid, which erupted over Russia with the power of five to 10 megatons of TNT.
The asteroid explosion was hundreds of times more powerful than the first atomic bomb and wiped out 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
NASA warned there are 10 million near-Earth objects (NEOs) larger than 20m and 25,000 space rocks at least 140m in size.
The report reads: “Larger NEOs greater than 140 meters have the potential to inflict severe damage to entire regions or continents.
“Such objects would strike Earth with a minimum energy of over 60 megatons of TNT, which is more than the most powerful nuclear device ever tested.
“Fortunately, these are far less common and are easier to detect and track than smaller NEOs.”
Space rocks up to one km in size are even more lethal and could cause damage on a global scale.
But NASA and other US agencies cannot monitor every single small threat flying towards or near the planet.
Lindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defence officer, said implementing the Action Plan is the fist step towards effectively responding to asteroid threats.
He said: “The nation already has significant scientific, technical and operation capabilities that are relevant to asteroid impact prevention.
“Implementing the National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan will greatly increase our nation’s readiness and work with international partners to effectively respond should a new potential asteroid impact be detected.”
The Action Plan suggests the use of kinetic impactors and nuclear devices as the go-to asteroid threat response.
Battering ram spacecraft could be used to knock lesser space rocks off their Earth-bound trajectories.
But asteroids too big to move would have to be dealt with by more powerful means of destruction.
The report said: “There is much that is not known about the orbits, size and material composition of many NEOs, and it is essential to account for these uncertainties when developing and utilising technologies for impact prevention.
“For example, multiple technologies may be suitable for preventing NEO impacts that are predicted well in advance, while disruption via nuclear explosive device may be the only feasible option for NEOs that are very large or come with short warning time.”
The US National Science Foundation is now heavily involved in the Chile-based Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) – a giant telescope facility which will scan the skies for asteroids and other moving objects.
The powerful telescope will take incredibly detailed snapshots of the night sky to detect changes and potential movement.
Bagikan Berita Ini
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