‘Planet killer’ asteroid spotted hiding in the sun’s glare

[Tyrian-Quill]

Astronomers have spotted three near-Earth asteroids that were lurking undetected within the glare of the sun. One of the asteroids is the largest potentially hazardous object posing a risk to Earth to be discovered in the last eight years.

The asteroids belong to a group found within the orbits of Earth and Venus, but they’re incredibly difficult to observe because the brightness of the sun shields them from telescope observations.

To avoid the sun’s glare, astronomers leaped at the chance to conduct their observations during the brief window of twilight. An international team spied the space rocks while using the Dark Energy Camera located on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

Their findings were published Monday in The Astronomical Journal.

One of the asteroids, called 2022 AP7, is 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) wide and has an orbit that could bring it within Earth’s path in the future, but it’s difficult for the scientists to know when.
“Our twilight survey is scouring the area within the orbits of Earth and Venus for asteroids,” said lead study author Scott S. Sheppard, an astronomer at the Earth & Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, in a statement.

“So far we have found two large near-Earth asteroids that are about 1 kilometer across, a size that we call planet killers.”
Scientists determined that the asteroid crosses Earth’s orbit, but it occurs when Earth is on the opposite side of the sun – this pattern will continue for centuries since it takes the asteroid five years to complete an orbit around the sun. But over time, the asteroid’s orbital movement will be more in sync with Earth’s. Scientists don’t know the asteroid’s orbit with enough precision to say how dangerous it could become in the future, but for now, it “will stay well away from Earth,” Sheppard said.

A near-Earth asteroid measuring 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) or larger “would have a devastating impact on life as we know it,” he said. Dust and pollutants would fill the atmosphere for years, cooling the planet and preventing sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface.

“It would be a mass extinction event like hasn’t been seen on Earth in millions of years,” Sheppard said.

• to read the article in it's entirety, click on- Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/31/world/po ... index.html

Interesting....

[Bsuds]

So when will they hit us up with an Earth killer asteroid tax?

[Tyrian-Quill]

So when will they hit us up with an Earth killer asteroid tax?

am not sure but if anyone thinks of fighting such a tax, they best consider the alternative
NASA has already proven that it is possible to redirect an asteroid:

As a part of NASA’s overall planetary defense strategy, DART’s impact with the asteroid Dimorphos demonstrates a viable mitigation technique for protecting the planet from an Earth-bound asteroid or comet, if one were discovered.

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa ... fense-test

[Sonny Taylor]

So when will they hit us up with an Earth killer asteroid tax?

Right on, but please don't give them any ideas.

[Sonny Taylor]

am not sure but if anyone thinks of fighting such a tax, they best consider the alternative

Pretty ambiguous; could you be a little more clear?

[Tyrian-Quill]

am not sure but if anyone thinks of fighting such a tax, they best consider the alternative

Pretty ambiguous; could you be a little more clear?

nope, leaving that to your imagination.

[GordonH]

Even with every telescope on our planet looking for next asteroid that will wipeout life on earth. It’s very small percentage of vastness of area needed to see something coming.

Eventually it will happen, it’s just a matter of time.

[Tyrian-Quill]

Even with every telescope on our planet looking for next asteroid that will wipeout life on earth. It’s very small percentage of vastness of area needed to see something coming.

Eventually it will happen, it’s just a matter of time.

One way or another... can't fend-off the inevitable forever.

[Jlabute]

Planet killer at 1000m ?
Assuming it was made of fairly dense rock and not a rubble pile, it hit Winnipeg at 70 deg. angle, 16 km/s, the crater would be about 13 km across. Probably at least a 7 magnitude quake but the air blast wouldn't even break the windows.

It’ll be more of a question of how much dust goes in to the atmosphere. How much will the temperature drop and for how long due to blocked sunlight.

[alanjh595]

"This comet is what we call a planet-killer."

So says one of the characters in the trailer for Don't Look Up, Netflix's new sci-fi disaster movie that begins streaming on Dec. 24, in which space junk threatens to wipe out our planet.

It's a scene we've seen on screen before: Giant object hurtles toward us, scientists ring alarms, everyone panics trying to figure out how to prevent total catastrophe. A pair of thrillers in 1998 were based on a similar premise — remember Deep Impact and Armageddon, anyone?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/planet- ... -1.6286914

[GordonH]

Curiosity... would knowing life on our planet is about to wiped out, or would not knowing be better.

More then likely it will be the latter.

[Babba_not_Gump]

Curiosity... would knowing life on our planet is about to wiped out, or would not knowing be better.

More then likely it will be the latter.

Well know it was coming would bring on some great parties. Others would be running around like it was a purge and then there would be the religious crazies.
All somewhat entertaining.

[77TA]

Curiosity... would knowing life on our planet is about to wiped out, or would not knowing be better.

More then likely it will be the latter.

Well know it was coming would bring on some great parties. Others would be running around like it was a purge and then there would be the religious crazies.
All somewhat entertaining.

It's all fun and games until the toilet paper runs out...