What would humanity do if an asteroid were to impact Earth?

In February 2013 an asteroid of 19 meters in diameter flew over the skies of Russia and did not hit the Earth exactly, but if it exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, the shock wave of the explosion in the air caused the Most windows and stained glass will explode causing more than 1,500 wounded.

This event, fortunately without fatalities, served to remind the world that the Earth is continually white from small and medium-sized asteroids, and that in any moment could be reached by a devastating one, like the one that hit Siberia at the beginning of the 20th century, or apocalyptic, like the one that ended the dinosaurs and caused the last great extinction of species 65 million years ago.h2> What would humanity do if an asteroid were to impact the earth?

Although most astronomers do not believe that we are in danger of being impacted in the next 50 years by an asteroid similar to the one that I finish with the dinosaurs (9.5 km in diameter), they do not completely rule out the possibility of an unpleasant surprise.In 2004 a 274 meter wide asteroid was detected, Apophis , in progress towards the Earth and a possible impact was estimated in 2029, but later calculations indicated that it would pass more than 80,000 kilometers, which is not much distance in astronomical terms.

For several years the European Space Agency has been carrying out monitoring and evaluation through an office of observation of activities of objects close to Earth, and has made impact simulations in order to establish a protocol of activities to present the threat of an extraterrestrial impact.

The steps of this protocol include monitoring, early detection of the threat, precise description of the object (size, composition, speed, etc.), determination of date and time of impact and precise location of the place where it will collide with the Land.Having this information would allow governments and international entities to take appropriate measures both to avoid the impact, if possible, and to establish contingency plans (evacuation, medical and humanitarian care, etc.).

What would humanity do if an asteroid were to impact Earth?

Asteroid size

Of course, if the asteroid is 10 kilometers or more, the only measure to take would be to put things in order with the world and the gods, and close the eyes, as in the extraordinary movie Melancholy , from Danish Lars von Trier…

Or not? Since the 90s of last century, in organisms such as NASA, alternatives to destroy or divert any large-sized object that threatens to impact the Earth are evaluated.Options include the use of nuclear missiles (destruction of the asteroid, as in the Armagedon and Deep Impact ) movies; of a powerful laser beam (shots from the Earth and from spacecraft to make it release gases and cause its diversion); gravitational traction (a ship that harnessing the force of gravity changes the course of the object); and until the landing and installation of solar candles to change its course.

But none of these plans will work if the threat is not detected well in advance.Since 1998, following orders from the US Congress, NASA has allocated resources to detect and follow asteroids and comets of the solar system that may constitute a threat; for this it has the global network of astronomical terrestrial observatories and some of the time of some of the space telescopes.This activity requires personnel and financial and technological resources that governments are not always willing to give.It is a too abstract threat, although present, and of a type of space science that generates little profit from the political point of view …

It is estimated that there are more than 10 million asteroids and comets of various sizes in the outer solar system with which at some point we could cross.

What would humanity do if an asteroid were to impact Earth?

It should be a priority to look at those who can harm us.65 million years ago dinosaurs could not do anything to change their destiny, we could.

And you? Do you think that at some point we will see an asteroid hit Earth, will it be our end? Follow our page with the article Theories about the end of the world.

Images: andrewsrj, Eduardo Mueses, NASA Blueshift

Comments

The town where women chose to be single mothers

The fact that a woman chooses to be single mother , today, is no longer news in most of our countries.Particularly, what makes this story special and we want to include it in our space for Science Daily Online, is that most of the women of a locality in Vietnam called Loi, chose to be single mothers more than 30 years ago. In what way? Asking for a "xin with", that is, asking a man for a timely "exchange" without further obligation, with which to father a child and be able to raise him alone , thus covering the desire to be a mother (if one wishes) without having to marry, and without this also being frowned upon.The history that originated this practice has its roots during the Vietnam War, hence numerous anthropologists have approached this little corner of Southeast Asia to understand it a little better. We explain it to you. The choice of Loi women We will start by putting ourselves in context.The Vietnam War was a very long and sad conflict wi...

The Westermarck Effect | The explanation of the Tabu of Incest

According to its definition, a "tabu" is a morally unacceptable behavior either by a society, a human group or a religion.Incest is a sexual tabu that is present in most societies.In general, taboos usually be of a food, behavioral or language-related nature.Share in Science Daily Online to know what is called Westermarck Effect, which for many is the explanation of the Tabu of Incest . Content Index The Westermarck Effect: The psychological explanation of the Tabu of Incest Although it seems strange to us, not all societies considered incest as a tabu when it came to their rulers.By believing that the origin of kings and queens was divine and in order to preserve that superior blood, in some cultures the real incest was practiced (already in our blog we have addressed Incest among the Egyptian pharaohs and incest among the kings of Hawaii, for example). Incest is a word that comes from the Latin «incestus» or «incastus», that is to say «not chaste» and is «the p...

Do you want to enter the vault of the End of the World? Discover what's inside

Have you ever wondered how Earth would look after a nuclear war? In general, what we see is an inhospitable terrain, where life becomes impossible.Well, even so, we would have a hope: the so-called vault of the End of the World . The vault of the End of the World, designed to protect us It is a hidden place 400 feet inside a mountain of a remote island between Norway and the North Pole.This contains a great variety of seeds from all over the world , suitable for cultivation.Their utility has already been demonstrated. They have been used in the Syrian Civil War , as humanitarian aid material. Photo: John McConnico Obviously, it is not a nature reserve, but Norway designed it 2008 to protect such foods with the minimum temperatures , given the threats that lie in wait for us.Yes, there is the aforementioned nuclear war, but also the environmental disaster .It would be, in conclusion, a reserve to implement a repopulation of the Earth, should everything disappear. As we sa...

This is the reconstructed face of an ancient Guanche, aboriginal of the Canary Islands

In the next article that we bring you, we want to tell you about some history.History of Spain or, rather, a part of this country.In particular of the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, but we will not talk about current canaries as famous as Javier Bardem, but of much older inhabitants of the area.Specifically, in today's article, we will talk about the aboriginal of the Canary Islands; an inhabitant who has now been put on a face. The Guanches: aborigines of the Canary Islands Long before the Canary Islands became in a holiday paradise, long before Javier Bardem was born, the archipelago belonged to the Guanche people. The origin of this town is related to the Berber tribes that lived in North Africa.the numerous geographical names and terms that are still preserved from the primitive inhabitants of the archipelago, very similar to the Berber dialects, and in particular to those of the Moroccan Atlas. In September 1992 a inscription on a rock that has confirmed the ...

Reincarnations: the curious case of the Cameron Macaulay child

Reincarnation. Today we do not know what happens when one comes to an end, when death covers our eyes with its cloak of darkness and takes us to the side of our loved ones.maybe a new life, in another body and in another country? That is what people who accept and defend reincarnation explain to us.An approach, for some hopeful, where various testimonies provide us with incredible and disconcerting stories. The story of Cameron Macaulay is one of them.A really shocking case, which you are interested in knowing. The sad memories of Cameron Macaulay Let a child of only three years talk to his mother of her " another mom ", it's nothing normal.Cameron Macaulay started very early to explain to the people around him what his other life was like. Quietly and without contradiction, he recounted what that "other mother" was like, a long-haired, loving woman.He also described how the house he lived in, far, far away from Glasgow, was white, large and near a...

Gravitational waves: once again, Einstein was REASON

The last prediction of Albert Einstein, made within the framework of the theory of relativity just a hundred years ago , has just been confirmed thanks to a detection made by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory ) In Science Daily Online we want to share with you some extraordinary information about this discovery. Gravitational waves: once again, Einstein was REASON In 1916 Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves , and made a small mistake: I believe that these could never be detected by humans, due to the time and the immense space that would separate us from them.In the 80's a group of physicists and astronomers set out to contradict this statement and at the same time demonstrate Einstein's latest prediction; for this they designed an experiment that would involve the construction of a special observatory (LIGO), and the participation of more than a thousand scientists from fifteen countries. LIGO facilities The creato...

Amazing! Peanut butter can turn into diamonds, under certain conditions

The incorrigible gluttons believe that some goodies are authentic treasures for how delicious they are, like the irresistible Nutella! Something that does not differentiate us much from scientists, although their interests are not directed precisely to the taste of such delicacies, because with a series of experiments they showed that peanut butter is, in addition to succulent, a real rough diamond . We tell you how the experts managed to transform the peanut butter into this precious gem! And it was not by magic. Incredible! Peanut butter can turn into diamonds, under certain conditions A team of scientists from the University of Edinburgh got what we think is unusual and impossible: they turned a common and ordinary peanut butter into diamonds.But how did they do it? " Pressure can cause extraordinary changes to any kind of materials and create completely new ones ," Professor Malcolm McMahon, a member of the Center for Science and Extreme Conditions, and one ...

Languages: why do some learn more easily?

In the world there are more than seven billion people, equal in some things and different in others.We have always read that the universal language is English and when you realize that you do not know a word, curiosity immediately it appears.Surely you have known that in school they were the hazmerreir in languages, as well as you know the brain, but, have you wondered why it is easier for some to learn other languages? If your Science Daily Online has awakened, it's time to continue reading and find out why. Languages: why do some learn more easily? Normally, learning a second language takes between one and two years on average, depending on the preset by the center where they teach.However, there are those who take longer, while others store the information quickly.According to the results of a study conducted by three universities of the United States (University of Californi a, Pennsylvania and John Hopkins), brain connections work differently between those who have e...

Alfred Nobel invented the awards to feel good about himself

Every year we hope to know the list of winners of the Nobel Prizes .We are interested in their names and the reasons that have led them to deserve one of the most admired awards granted.We know that the founder of these awards was Alfred Nobel , the inventor of dynamite.Who was this man? Why do I institute them? The reality is that Alfred Nobel invented the awards to feel good about himself. Alfred Nobel invented the awards to feel good about himself Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1833 in a well-off family.The father was an engineer and educated the 3 Nobel brothers with special emphasis on the natural sciences and humanities. Alfred was an engineer, chemist and inventor , but he also wrote poetry and a tragedy.Together with his brothers he founded several industries that took advantage of many of the 355 inventions That patent.Especially fruitful were the factories dedicated to weapons purposes .I invent several explosives a...

The rainbow eucalyptus, the most incredible tree in the world

The Rainbow Eucalyptus. You may think that we have used Photoshop to impact you with such a color, that the images are not real and that we have used the imagination, to create an incredible and magical tree. But we assure you that it is completely real, that the "Eucalyptus deglupta" is another wonder of our nature that is worth knowing.Are you joining us on this fantastic walk? Rainbow eucalyptus, a symphony of colors It smells good.It is not particularly high, but it usually looks in its bark such a suggestive color, which sometimes makes those who believe They find with them that some artist has been able to "broaden" with these trees using the brushes and paints to decorate their trunks. But as you know, there is no one else ca prichoso and imaginative that nature itself.It is she who through her good arts and great projects, gives us with these unique creatures of the forests that make us sound so much.The rainbow eucalyptus are native to th...

Science Daily Online

Search This Blog