NASA asteroid warning: US impact map shows millions of people at risk | Science | New



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The report on the National Strategy and Plan of Action on the Protection of Near-Earth Earth Objects warned that an asteroid 40 to 60 m wide would be enough to cause death and destruction unimaginable.

The resulting explosion would have completely leveled the neighborhoods of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, New Rochdale, Jersey City and would extend to Staten Island, Paterson, Newark and White Plains

. Current estimates from NASA suggest that there are more than 300,000 objects over 40m orbiting the sun that could pose a threat of impact.

The NASA map was developed from the Tunguska asteroid of 1908 megatonnes of TNT.

The asteroid explosion was hundreds of times more powerful than the first atomic bomb and destroyed 2,000 square kilometers of forest.

NASA warned that there were 10 million NEOs over 20 m and 25,000 space rocks measuring at least 140 m.

The report states: "Larger NEOs over 140 meters may cause severe damage to entire regions or continents

" Such objects would strike the Earth with a minimum energy of more than 60 megatonnes of TNT , which is more than the most powerful nuclear device ever tested. " Fortunately, they are much less common and easier to detect and track than the smaller ones. "

Spatial rocks up to one kilometer are even more deadly and could cause damage on a global scale.

But NASA and other US agencies can not monitor every little threat flying to or from near the planet.] Lindley Johnson, NASA's global defense officer, said the implementation of the Action Plan is the first step towards an effective response to asteroid threats. 19659003] He said: "The nation already has significant scientific, technical and operational capabilities." The implementation of the National Strategy and Plan of Action on the Preparation of Close Earth Objects will greatly increase the our country's ability and will work with international partners to respond effectively if a new potential impact of asteroids is detected. "

The plan of action ion suggests the use of kinetic impactors and nuclear devices as a response to the threat of asteroids.

A Ram Spacecraft Can Be Used to Drop Space Rocks Farther Distance from Their Earth-bound Trajectories

The Report says, "We do not know much about orbits, size, and material composition of many NEOs, and it is critical to consider these uncertainties when developing and using technologies for the prevention of impacts.

"For example, multiple technologies may be appropriate to prevent the impacts of NEOs that are pr the US nuclear power plant may be the only feasible option for NEOs that are very important or that have little time to develop. alert. "

The US National Science Foundation is now heavily involved in the LSST synoptic telescope – a giant telescope installation that will sweep the skies for asteroids and other moving objects

The Powerful Telescope Will Take Incredibly Detailed Snapshots from the night sky to detect changes and potential movements.

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