NASA Reveals Odds of Civilization-Ending Asteroid Impact

Technology

January 29th, 7:13am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Image courtesy of NASA shows an artist's concept of a broken-up asteroid. (REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout)

NASA has unveiled the probability of a civilization-ending asteroid impact, like the one that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. According to the Interesting Engineering website, the agency said the odds of a huge asteroid hitting Earth are almost negligible at 0.000001% per year. A part of its Near Earth Object program, NASA is carrying out research on asteroids that may threaten our planet. Officials from the agency have set a schedule that explains the likelihood of an asteroid impact with Earth for the next 100 years. Only massive asteroids can cross the Earth atmosphere and remain intact. Any space rock with a diameter of about 10 meters, will be destroyed in the Earth's atmosphere during thermal explosions, the Interesting Engineering reported. According to NASA, a meteor punched a hole in a parking lot in 1992. Properties in Connecticut and an Alabama were also damaged by falling space rocks in this century. The probability of an asteroid capable of destroying a city striking Earth is 0.1% every year, NASA said.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2104731/nasa-reveals-odds-civilization-ending-asteroid-impact