There is an asteroid in outer space that will come close to the earth in 2046. Does this asteroid pose a threat to us?
This particular asteroid is the size of an Olympic swimming pool, or 165 feet wide. It has about a 1 in 560 chance of colliding with earth or .018 percent. That doesn't seem like a lot, but this is a lot higher chance than a lot of things happening.
This message comes from NASA and the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which posted this on Twitter.
If the asteroid does hit earth, here's what would likely happen:
An asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool would be approximately 50 meters (165 feet) wide. If such an asteroid were to strike the Earth, it would cause significant damage. The impact of the asteroid would release energy equivalent to several nuclear bombs.
The impact site would be devastated, with the immediate area being destroyed completely. The shockwave from the impact would be felt for hundreds of miles, and the sound of the impact would be heard even further. The resulting crater would be approximately 600 meters (2,000 feet) wide and up to 150 meters (500 feet) deep.
The impact would also cause a significant amount of dust and debris to be thrown into the atmosphere, causing a temporary global cooling effect. This could result in a decrease in global temperatures for several months, which could impact agriculture and other industries.
NASA analyzes a lot of objects in space, including asteroids. Their position can change over time. Do you feel like this asteroid is a threat to humanity?
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