A photo from open sources
Scientists regularly scare us with approaching our planet another potentially dangerous asteroid, but not many understand that the chances of destroying humanity in such “guests” are not so great: 1 to 280,000. And yet the probability, albeit small, but exists, while it does not seem to reflect the blow possible, even with existing knowledge. In a magazine published “Icarus” article says that a hit on an asteroid can only break, but not completely destroy. It turns out that the asteroid don’t stop?
Many probably remember the movie “Armageddon,” in which the brave a team of earthlings goes to the asteroid and safely it explodes, thereby saving human civilization. But is it possible is it really? According to recent research by scientists humanity will likely have to look for another way to save yourself.
To understand the effectiveness of the strike, scientists modeled on computer this process, but as a material that simulates an asteroid, an ordinary rock was taken. It turned out that break the asteroid will not work, since an effective strike will require an unthinkable large amount of energy.
Researchers attempted to simulate a “two-stage” strike on an asteroid, that is, the blows had to follow one after another: if if the first one doesn’t break, the second one will probably complete the work. But here too researchers failed, as the first hit millions of internal cracks form, and the second blow, thanks to these cracks, only forms a small crater on the surface asteroid. As a result, the asteroid will not be destroyed.
What were the scientists wrong
Asteroid impact modeling by scientists at the beginning 2000s showed a completely different result – a large asteroid was completely destroyed. The fact is that their work was not taken into account internal processes that begin to occur after the first hit by an asteroid. Researchers attribute this to the fact that cracks will spread slowly over the asteroid, but that’s not enough in order to completely destroy it.
The work also has proposals for production materials from asteroids. Explosive material will reveal the internal rocks of the asteroid that may represent great value.
Despite the fact that scientists have not yet come close to a solution possible problems, the results will allow you to find an effective way to destroy an unsolicited “guest”. Not excluded that a hit on the asteroid may not be required, as scientists have and more interesting, at first glance, fantastic solutions, for example, capturing an asteroid by dozens of probes and changing it course.
Earlier it became known that EKA and NASA are preparing to hold experiment to create a “space shield” to protect against asteroids. Scientists intend to ram the Didim facility, pointing at him a special probe.
Andrey Vetrov
