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 phenomenon of women who grow some instead of hair

In Science Daily Online we have told you the story of people like Prince Randian, who were born with deformities and had to make their lives in this way, sometimes considered as human phenomena, despite being basically normal in the other aspects of its existence. In this case a person born "normal" became an extraordinary case when they started growing some instead of hair in unusual places of the human body. The phenomenon of women who grow some instead of hair Shanyna Isom was a normal young woman who lived in Memphis with her family and she was in her first year of university when her problems began.In September 2009 she suffered a severe asthma attack that took her to a hospital and where she was prescribed medications with steroids . The young woman overcame asthma access but suffered an allergic reaction that first caused it itchy on the whole body and then more severe symptoms: black bumps appeared on his legs, he lost strength and fell into bed, shor...

And you, also "procrastins"?

And you? Procrastines too? If you don't, we are sure that you know someone who does it continuously and that, surely, makes you despair.But what does this disturbing word really mean? Let's give an example: you have been dating a person for a long time, you make plans for the future, you have many illusions and projects, however, your partner never seems to decide.He is unable to formalize your relationship because something like that, not only overwhelms him, but even He is lazy. "Are we not well like that?" I often reproach you. Let's give another example: you may have the classic friend who never seems to finish his studies.It is easy to be an "eternal" university student who faces the responsibilities and anxieties of the working world. And what about people who spend all their time in front of a computer screen letting out "real life" ? Sometimes, it is much easier to let ourselves go, evading responsibilities, than to put means t...

The story of the stuffed animal and the little foal

This little colt is called «Breeze» and its history is one more of those sad stories where suddenly the magic arises and the trainable.In Science Daily Online, We love to bring you hopeful samples to get excited about, thanks to these animals that we love so much and that concern us so much. On this occasion, the story cannot be more tender.A giant teddy bear and a small foal. Breeze, the orphan who found his best friend Not long ago we talked to you in Science Daily Online of a Scenic as beautiful as mysterious: The Wistman Forest, in Dartmoor National Park.This is precisely where this story began two years ago. It was an ordinary day when a guard from this National Park found a small The animal, according to his own deductions, would have been born the night before, and his mother, for whatever reasons, had abandoned him to his fate in the midst of such a dense and humid scenario, in which is easy to find death, if you do not have the protection of a parent.The ani...

The Hynek scale to assess UFO sightings

Are you skeptical? The American astrologer and ufologist Josef Allen Hynek, creator of the Hynek scale to identify the types of UFO sightings (unidentified flying objects), was also at first. It is that the unknown, the more extraordinary and supernatural is presented, the tendency will be to seek a more or less logical explanation to, perhaps, reassure.Led by the same, Hynek came to reason at close encounters with beings from other worlds as "a matter of postwar nerves ” . Later with his own experience, he would not only rectify his initial position by stating that it is a “ real phenomenon to face ” , but it would create a classification system that you will know next.The ufologists have adopted it universally! The Hynek scale, the UFO sighting classification system Imagine that you are observing the night sky, when suddenly something in the distance, between clouds, it flashes like nothing else you've ever witnessed.Suppose you're not skeptical as Hynek was or...

10 Curiosities of the Teeth | Surprise yourself with them!

In general, people interact with our teeth many times a day, but we don't stop to think about them.We want them to look white and healthy and we brush and floss them, but we don't usually spend more time., are basic for our health in general.Share us 10 Curiosities of Teeth that will surely be surprising. A deficient denture affects not only the aesthetics of the person, but it can be very harmful to health.The poor positioning of the pieces can cause digestive or dental hygiene problems , but not only that.Some studies indicate that the periodontitis , which is a gum infection, could be a risk for pregnancy because this disease is related to the release of prostaglandins , hormones related to premature delivery.It is also associated with some types of arthritis because periodontitis bacteria, in extreme cases, generate toxic by-products that from the stomach go to the bloodstream and can cause joint inflammations in both hands and feet. 10 Trivia of the teeth that ...

5 fascinating curiosities about the ocean

The ocean .Close but unknown dimension that covers almost 70% of the surface of our planet.Something amazing but at the same time disturbing, because do we know everything maybe from that aquatic dimension so full of life? What hides in its depths? The truth is that it is curious to think that man, in his eagerness for knowledge has even come to explore space, to send probes to distant planets, and yet as experts tell us we have only reached know a little more than 5% of our oceans.Far from our reach is that abyssal world full of exotic animals where impossible creatures live. So, today in Science Daily Online we want to dive with you in this blue universe that gave us life in its moment.And that offers it to us day by day with its incomparable beauty… and its mysteries. 1.Why is the ocean blue? You may have asked yourself sometime.First of all, I would like to tell you that the ocean will look blue especially if we are at sea or if we place ourselves on a quiet shore of ...

How are umbilical cords saving the lives of cancer patients?

The key to effectively treating cancer patients could be in the umbilical cords that babies have at birth , according to a scientific study, since they contain something very valuable.These are cells Hematopoietic mother.Discover how they can be used to cure one of the most aggressive diseases known. Umbilical cords could be the salvation of cancer patients Stem cells are hematopoietic cells Immatures found in everyone's blood and bone marrow.They have an important job.They become the red or white blood cells and platelets that your body needs to stay healthy.However, in patients with a bone marrow disease, such as leukemia , the process does not work properly. A bone marrow transplant is usually the best chance of survival and a possible cure, and umbilical cord blood offers a potential source of replacement tissue necessary for transplantation.When used, this can be called an umbilical cord blood transplant.This, although it sounds new, is not a rare process, becau...

The disturbing spider camel

The giant solpugids of Egypt, better known as Aranas Camello, are an order that derives from the arachnids native to the deserts of almost the whole world. However, although it is known as the Camel Spider, it is not even an arana.How? We tell you! Meet the Camel Arana and its legend! The camel arana is not a proper spider, is part of the arachnid group, but it is actually a solpugido .It is believed that there are about 1,100 species of camel spiders, most of which have not yet been studied, since this is a somewhat complicated task: because they seem to wilt when taken to laboratories and must be observed directly in their natural habitat. The camel aranas have had very bad press, especially when videos circulated on the net during the war from Iraq of 2003, where it was said that they were bloodthirsty animals that attacked sleeping soldiers and even many photographs were shown in which they looked like spiders half the size of a man. I paint them like huge poisonous pr...

What is acid rain?

Many times we have heard the term " acid rain " and generally relate it to the weather and possible contamination, but do you really know what it is? In Science Daily Online we explain it below. What is acid rain? The so-called acid rain is a atmospheric phenomenon that originates when acidic compounds are incorporated into the small droplets of water that make up the clouds.It is one of the main consequences related to air pollution that we all breathe the days. This is a cycle that starts at the moment that industries, factory smoke or car engines emit sulfur oxides in the gaseous state that is transported through the winds to hundreds of kilometers.By burning different kinds of fuels considerable amounts of chemicals are released, which not only contain visible particles of gray color, but also have a wide variety of gases not visible, but very harmful for the environment . Acidity values In the troposphere , one of the layers that make up the at...

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