NASA and experts from around the world will hold an exercise for a possible asteroid strike

We sometimes hear reports warning of asteroids passing near the Earth, with the possibility of disastrous results if there was a direct hit.

But most experts agree that it's unlikely that a large asteroid or other object of space will crush on Earth and cause great destruction. .

Many organizations recognize the real risk of such an event. NASA, the US space agency, is one example. NASA and its international partners are constantly looking in the sky for what scientists call NEO. These objects include asteroids and comets that are within 50 million kilometers of Earth's orbit.

This week, NASA is partnering with FEMA (the US Federal Emergency Management Agency) and international experts to investigate the possibility of NEO on Earth. At a conference near Washington, DC, scientists simulate an asteroid made up to explore what could happen when defending against a real shot.

What's an asteroid?

An asteroid is a rocky object without air. Asteroids are sometimes called minor planets. They remained from the initial formation of our solar system about 4.6 million years ago. Most asteroids gravitate around the Sun between the Mars and Jupiter planets. NASA reports that, in total, scientists have identified more than 795,000 asteroids.

A comet is a small object, sometimes active, containing ice. In the sun, ice can spray form an atmosphere of dust and gas.

According to NASA, about once a year, an asteroid the size of an automobile enters the Earth's atmosphere. Such objects turn into a fireball and burn before reaching the surface of the Earth.

Every 2,000 years or so, a much larger object hits the Earth and causes considerable damage. However, according to NASA experts, an object big enough to threaten Earth's civilization only happens every few million years.

Simulation of asteroids

This week's meeting – from April 29 to May 3 – is called the Global Defense Conference. Participants from NASA, FEMA and other government agencies as well as experts from around the world will participate in a simulation exercise.

The "on-the-table" exercise will take into account the false threat of an asteroid invented by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The groups will study possible emergency and defense measures to deal with the threat posed by synthetic asteroids.

Lindley Johnson is a planetary defense officer for NASA. He said that the exercise would be an opportunity to create better international preparedness and response processes in the event of a real threat. "This … will help us to develop more effective communications with each other and with our governments," he added.

The exercise is based on the invented discovery of an NEO, an event that, according to conference organizers, is expected to touch the Earth in 2027. The exercise estimates a one in 100 chance that the NEO is hitting the planet.

NASA officials said the international community had decided that in real life, one in 100 chance would be big enough to consider taking defensive and urgent action.

The organizers have noted in a press release that a real asteroid should pass close to Earth in 2029. This asteroid, called Apophis, is one of the most important NEOs ever discovered.

NASA predicts that Apophis will pass to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029, 31,300 kilometers from the surface of the Earth. It is closer than where meteorological satellites gravitate around our planet.

Apophis should measure about 340 meters long. Experts say that if such an asteroid hit Earth, it would cause major damage to the planet's surface and our civilization.

But NASA has clearly stated that she did not believe that Apophis would touch the Earth in 2029. However, the close flyby will offer scientists a great chance to study the asteroid, according to NASA. .

In the future, the international community could also decide to send a spacecraft to observe Apophis, the press release said.

I am Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from NASA and the International Academy of Astronautics. George Grow was the publisher.

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Words in this story

asteroid – not. a rocky object that goes around the sun like a planet

simulate – v. create something that behaves or looks like something real, but is not

spray – v. transform a solid or a liquid into a gas