In preparation for the upcoming Asteroid Day on June 30 – a day where scientists group together to discuss how to protect Earth from hazardous space rocks – one leading astrophysicist is warning that it is a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’. Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, from Queen’s University Belfast’s Astrophysics Research Centre, highlights smaller impacts in the past that highlight just how unprepared Earth actually is.
Prof Fitzsimmons says that an incident similar to the Tunguska one could destroy major cities, and anything larger could wreak havoc on the entire planet. In 1908, a small asteroid exploded over Siberia’s Tunguska which ruined woodlands across 800 miles.
In 2013, a 20 meter meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, which smashed windows and caused injuries to more than 1,000 people. Experts had not anticipated either incident, leading to fears that Earth could be surprised by a more devastating asteroid strike in the future.
Prof Fitzsimmons said:
“It is important to know that scientists and engineers have made great strides in detecting Near-Earth Asteroids and understanding the threat posed by them. More than 1,800 potentially hazardous objects have been discovered so far, but there are many more waiting to be found. It is important to know that scientists and engineers have made great strides in detecting Near-Earth Asteroids and understanding the threat posed by them. More than 1,800 potentially hazardous objects have been discovered so far, but there are many more waiting to be found.”