How Can We Find Killer Asteroids?

TL;DR

A professor of physics and astronomy discusses the importance of a space-based infrared survey mission to find and track hazardous asteroids before they pose a threat to Earth.

Transcript

On the morning of February 15, 2013, people in western Russia were dazzled by an incredibly bright meteor blazing a fiery contrail across the sky. A few minutes later a shockwave struck, shaking the buildings and blowing out windows. 1,500 people went to the hospital with injuries from shattered glass. This was the Chelyabinsk meteor, a chunk of ro... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌥️ The Chelyabinsk meteor was the largest known object to strike the atmosphere since the Tunguska explosion in 1908.
• 👣 Most of the larger asteroids have been tracked, but smaller, city-killing asteroids remain largely unknown.
• 🕵️ Infrared observation can help detect hazardous asteroids by focusing on their size rather than their brightness.
• 👾 Space-based infrared survey missions like NEOCam and Sentinel are crucial to finding and monitoring dangerous asteroids.
• 🥃 These missions can operate for years to scan the sky and identify potentially hazardous objects.
• 🤑 While small asteroids like the Chelyabinsk meteor may not cause mass destruction, larger ones pose a significant threat to cities and populations.
• 👾 Building a space-based infrared survey mission is necessary to protect Earth from future dangerous asteroid impacts.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the Chelyabinsk meteor and how did it impact Russia?

The Chelyabinsk meteor was a large chunk of rock that entered the Earth's atmosphere, causing a bright display and a shockwave that shattered windows and injured people in western Russia.

Q: Why is it crucial to find and track hazardous asteroids?

By identifying potential killer asteroids, we can understand the risks they pose to Earth and take preventive measures to protect ourselves from catastrophic impacts.

Q: How can infrared observation help in finding hazardous asteroids?

Infrared observation allows us to detect large objects that might not reflect much light. By searching for objects with a large surface area, we can identify asteroids that can potentially cause the most damage.

Q: What are some proposed space-based infrared survey missions?

Two proposed missions are NEOCam and Sentinel. NEOCam would be stationed 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, while Sentinel would orbit around Venus. Both missions aim to survey the sky in the infrared and find hazardous asteroids.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• On February 15, 2013, the Chelyabinsk meteor struck western Russia, causing injuries and damage to buildings.

• While larger asteroids have been tracked, there is a need to find and monitor smaller, city-killing asteroids.

• To achieve this, a space-based infrared survey mission like NEOCam or Sentinel is necessary.