2023-07-19 07:37:38
We were talking about it only a few days ago, scientists are looking for effective solutions to deflect asteroids that measure between 10 and 100 meters in diameter. According to estimates, these asteroids cross the path of the Earth once or twice a century, which is not anecdotal, and can cause considerable damage by falling on a city.
The asteroid was not detected
Precisely, we have just learned that a 60-meter machine brushed our planet on Thursday, July 13. This size is comparable to that of the asteroid which struck Siberia in 1908 and caused an explosion equivalent to 1,000 times the Hiroshima bomb, so we did not go far from disaster.
The exact distance was only 100,000 km, less than a third of the average distance between Earth and the Moon. Above all, it was not detected until 48 hours after its passage, so it would have been impossible to intervene. The European Space Agency, which has developed a program to detect and monitor these fireballs, explains that it approached our planet with the Sun behind it, which concealed it.
« Hidden in the glare of our Sun are an unknown number of asteroids that are on trajectories we cannot follow.“, specifies the ESA.
Obviously, this is not the first nor the last time that such a situation arises and it shows that we are not immune to a possible tragedy. However, we must not fall into psychosis either.
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