Latest news with #RubinObservatory
Metro
3 days ago
- Science
- Metro
Six asteroids 'dangerous to Earth' discovered - but could they really hit us?
Astronomers have discovered six asteroids that are 'potentially dangerous to Earth'. But is there a reason to panic? Venus, our celestial next-door neighbour, is hiding possibly hundreds of unpredictable and hard-to-see asteroids, according to a new study. These space rocks are 'co-orbitals', so orbit the Sun in line with Venus from a safe distance. The researchers wrote in a paper that while there's a slim chance the asteroids will collide with Venus, them being co-orbitals 'does not protect them from encountering Earth'. Of the six 'invisible threats', three named 2020 SB, 524522, and 2020 CL1 'have a severe risk of collision' as their orbits allow them to approach Earth within 0.05 astronomical units (about 4,650,000 miles). While that sounds far, that's close enough for them to be considered potentially hazardous asteroids. Two of the asteroids, 2020 SB, 524522, are up to 1,500 feet in diameter, about the same size as a football field, while 2020 CL1 is nearly 2,000 feet. This means they're about the same size as the 'city killer' asteroid that space officials briefly believed could smack Earth in 2032. An asteroid of this size smashing into the planet would be the equivalent of 'millions of nuclear bombs', experts previously told Metro, flattening the impact site and causing countless earthquakes and tsunamis. But experts doubt the 'city-killer' asteroid, named 2024 YR4, will come at all close to hitting the Earth. One reason is because the asteroid has a path so clear scientists can even predict what time it will come close to Earth. Valerio Carruba from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, who led the study, says the Venus asteroids are too unpredictable with only a small gravitational change or other force enough to nudge them towards Earth. The brightness and glare of the Sun make anything whizzing around Venus hard to see through a telescope. The Rubin Observatory in Chile would have about four weeks to spot them. The authors added: 'Low-e [low eccentricity] Venus co-orbitals pose a unique challenge because of the difficulties in detecting and following these objects from Earth.' Eccentricity refers to how round an orbit is, with a perfectly circular one having an eccentricity of zero. The smaller the orbit, the trickier they are to see. What doesn't help is their 'highly chaotic' orbits, 'with Lyapunov times of the order of 150 years', the authors said. Lyapunov time is how long an object's orbit takes to become completely unpredictable – so looking at the asteroids today won't tell us much about what its orbit will look like in 150 years. The researchers got around this by 'cloning' the rocks onto a simulated solar system and seeing where they wound up after 36,000 years. They said: 'There is a range of orbits with eccentricity <0.38, larger at lower inclinations, for which Venus' co-orbitals can pose a collisional hazard to Earth.' Chris Lintott, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford, would be the first to admit this all sounds scary. Speaking to Metro, he said: 'There's absolutely no need to panic – these asteroids are safely in their orbits millions of miles away and pose no imminent threat to Earth.' The odds that a city-destroying asteroid will hit Earth is about 1% per century, while no rocks larger than a kilometre are expected to get anywhere near us for at least the next 1,000 years. Planetary defence and space officials have plans in place in the event an asteroid does pose a threat, including smashing a spacecraft into it or shooting a pulse of radiation. More Trending Every close call with these titanic rocks, however scary, gives officials more data to work with to keep us safe. In the last year, 154 asteroids larger than a kilometre drifted closer to Earth than the Moon, according to Nasa. Linott added: 'We are getting better at understanding where asteroids that do hit the Earth come from though, and with new telescopes we're more likely than ever to have advanced notice of a threat. 'Despite these new ideas, you've never been safer from an asteroid dropping on you than you are now.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Twist in search for mysterious 'Planet Nine' in the dark depths of our solar system MORE: Saturn in Aries for the first time since 1999 will impact these five star signs most MORE: Nasa warns of huge solar flares that could cause blackouts on Earth
Saba Yemen
5 days ago
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Warnings of Destructive Asteroids Threatening Earth
Paris - (Saba): A new astronomical study has warned of invisible space threats that could strike Earth and destroy entire cities. Dangerous asteroids are hiding behind the glare of the sun near Venus. The British newspaper "Daily Mail" reported that an international team of scientists from universities in Brazil, France, and Italy has discovered the presence of at least three asteroids: "CL1 2020," "524522," and "2020 CB." They are close to Earth and dangerous enough to cause widespread destruction. These asteroids move in orbits synchronous with Venus, making them difficult to observe due to their proximity to the sun. Each of these asteroids is estimated to be between 100 and 400 meters in diameter, a size sufficient to cause massive explosions equivalent to a million times the power of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima if one of them were to impact Earth. This could cause large craters, fires, and catastrophic tsunamis. Although these asteroids' orbit with Venus prevents them from colliding with it, it does not protect Earth from their danger. Their unstable orbits also make them vulnerable to any gravitational shift that could direct them toward our planet. Scientists have indicated that the Rubin Observatory in Chile may be able to detect these dangerous asteroids, but the observation window will be extremely short, ranging from only two to four weeks per year, due to the asteroids' proximity to the Sun's glare. For this reason, the research team recommends launching a space probe toward Venus as the only way to detect these "hidden asteroids" and accurately map their locations. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Three massive asteroids hidden in Venus' shadow could hit Earth with force a million times greater than Hiroshima bomb
Asteroids carrying energy over a million times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb could be on a potential collision course with Earth, warn scientists from Brazil, France, and Italy. According to a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, three massive asteroids—identified as 2020 SB, 524522, and 2020 CL1—have been hiding in a blind spot behind Venus, shielded from Earth-based telescopes by the Sun's intense glare. These so-called 'Venus co-orbitals' are now being monitored closely due to their alarming proximity to Earth's orbit. City-Killer Threats Hiding in the Shadows These asteroids, ranging in diameter from 330 to 1,300 feet, are large enough to wipe out entire cities if they were to impact Earth. Scientists estimate that an impact would create a crater over two miles wide, triggering catastrophic firestorms and tsunamis. The energy released could be more than a million times that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Unlike most near-Earth objects, these asteroids don't follow stable trajectories. Researchers warn that even minor gravitational changes—from a passing planet or another asteroid—could alter their paths, sending them hurtling toward Earth. Minimal Distance, Maximum Risk The three asteroids raise particular concern because of their Minimal Orbital Intersection Distance (MOID) — the closest point between their orbit and Earth's. All three have MOIDs of less than 0.0005 astronomical units (AU), putting them closer to Earth than the Moon at certain points in their orbit. Live Events "Their orbits sync with Venus, but that doesn't protect us. These objects can still intersect with Earth's path and potentially collide," said lead researcher Valerio Carruba from São Paulo State University. Currently, 20 Venus co-orbital asteroids are known, but researchers believe many more remain hidden due to their location in Earth's observational blind spot. A Call for Vigilance — and Action While Earth-based telescopes like the upcoming Rubin Observatory in Chile might detect such asteroids, the reaction window is dangerously narrow—possibly just two to four weeks between detection and impact. To improve early detection, scientists suggest deploying a dedicated space probe near Venus, capable of scanning the region currently invisible to telescopes on Earth. "We need to map these hidden threats before it's too late," the researchers concluded. Should We Be Worried? Given their size, energy potential, and unpredictable orbits, these asteroids are not just theoretical threats. They are real and largely untracked hazards—cosmic wildcards that could, under the right conditions, strike Earth with devastating consequences. For now, scientists continue to track them closely—but the study highlights an urgent need for better detection systems that go beyond Earth's line of sight.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Killer asteroids million times mightier than the Hiroshima bombings are moving towards Earth, warn scientists
Image credits: Canva Asteroids with more energy than the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima could hit Earth soon, warn scientists While we keep on reading about asteroids moving too close to Earth and possibly colliding with the planet, this time the risk seems truly too high. According to a new study, three city-killing asteroids that have been hiding behind Venus, our closest neighbour in the solar system, could be moving towards Earth with a devastating impact. Researchers from Brazil, France and Italy have found that numerous asteroids in sync with Venus' orbit are difficult to spot as they hide behind the sun's powerful glare. Out of these, three asteroids in particular, 2020 SB, 524522 and 2020 CL1 have orbits that bring them dangerously close to Earth. Should humans be scared? Image credits: Canva In this case, it seems we should. Firstly, these space rocks don't follow stable paths and any kind of gravitational change could shift their course and make them collide with the planet's surface. These asteroids have a diameter between 330 and 1,300 feet making each one capable of hitting entire cities and setting off humongous fire and tsunamis. If one of them were to hit a city, it could make a crater over two miles wide and release energy that is over one million times more than the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Researchers noted that the Rubin Observatory in Chile could spot these deadly asteroids approaching from the blind spot near Venus, but the time frame to be able to do so would be extremely short, possibly only two to four weeks. What are these asteroids? Image credits: Canva The international team, led by Valerio Carruba of São Paolo University focused on the Venus co-orbital asteroids, which are asteroids that share Venus' orbit around the Sun. 'Twenty co-orbital asteroids of Venus are currently known,' wrote the authors in the report to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. 'Co-orbital status protects these asteroids from close approaches to Venus, but it does not protect them from encountering Earth,' they explained. These asteroids move in a synced orbit with Venus around the Sun. However, due to their unpredictable path, they could cross Earth's track around the Sun anytime and if they reach a point at the same time as our planet, they could crash into us. The above-mentioned three asteroids are primarily more concerning as they have very little Minimal Orbital Intersection Distance (MOID), the closest distance between their and Earth's orbit around the Sun. This small MOID means their chances of colliding with Earth are more. They are even closer to Earth than the Moon, with MOIDs of less than 0.0005 astronomical units (AU). Since the telescopes on Earth can not see in all directions in space, scientists suggest sending a dedicated space probe towards Venus that could help fully map the 'still invisible' hazardous asteroids hiding in Earth's blind spot.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn city-killing asteroids could be headed for Earth within weeks after revealing fatal detection flaw
At least three city-killing asteroids that could strike Earth are hiding behind our closest neighbor in the solar system. A new study warns that Venus is blocking out our view of many near-Earth asteroids - large space rocks that cross or come near Earth's orbit - setting up the potential for a devastating impact. Researchers from Brazil, France, and Italy found that several asteroids in sync with Venus's orbit are extremely hard to spot because they're often hidden by the Sun's glare. Three in particular, 2020 SB, 524522, and 2020 CL1, have orbits that take these asteroids dangerously close to Earth. Even worse, the asteroids don't follow perfectly stable paths, meaning any kind of gravitational change could shift their course and pull them towards Earth. The three asteroids flying along with Venus measure between 330 and 1,300 feet in diameter, making each one capable of leveling entire cities and setting off massive fires and tsunamis. The researchers noted that the Rubin Observatory in Chile might be able to spot deadly asteroids approaching from our blind spot near Venus, but the window to see them would be extremely short, possibly lasting only two to four weeks. If one of these asteroids were to hit a city, it would make a crater over two miles wide and release over one million times more energy than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. The international team, led by Valerio Carruba of São Paolo University, focused on asteroids that share Venus's orbit around the Sun, called Venus co-orbital asteroids. 'Twenty co-orbital asteroids of Venus are currently known,' the authors wrote in their report to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. 'Co-orbital status protects these asteroids from close approaches to Venus, but it does not protect them from encountering Earth,' they warned. Essentially, these asteroids are like dancers moving in step with Venus as they both move around the Sun; staying safely away from it due to their synchronized orbits. However, their wobbly and unpredictable paths can cross Earth's track, and if they reach that crossing point at the same time as Earth, they could crash into us. The near-Earth asteroids 2020 SB, 524522, and 2020 CL1 are the most concerning because each has a very small Minimum Orbital Intersection Distance (MOID) - the closest distance between their orbit and Earth's orbit around the Sun. A smaller MOID means an asteroid's chance of colliding with Earth increases dramatically. These three asteroids near Venus have MOIDs of less than 0.0005 astronomical units (AU), which is about 46,600 miles - closer than the Moon's average distance from Earth. In April, scientists at NASA increased the chance of an asteroid hitting the Moon to four percent. That prediction came after the probability of an impact on Earth rose to 3.1 percent - the highest odds ever recorded for a large asteroid. Researchers warned that they might be able to spot deadly asteroids approaching from our blind spot near Venus, but the window to see them would be extremely short, possibly lasting only 2 to 4 weeks Since telescopes here on Earth have a limited ability to see in all directions out in space, the researchers believe that a dedicated space probe needs to be launched towards Venus. According to their report, this is the only thing that can fully map the 'still invisible' hazardous asteroids hiding in Earth's blind spot. In February, NASA ruled out the possibility that another asteroid known as 2024 YR4 striking Earth in 2032. The threatening space rock is around 200 feet in diameter and still has a 1-in-25 chance of colliding with the Moon. Were it to hit the Earth, it would unleash a blast at least 500 times more powerful than that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Despite moving out of the danger zone, scientists are still tracking 2024 YR4 to learn its exact size of composition. If 2024 YR4 does hit the Moon in seven years, knowing these key facts could be a major boon for scientists around the world. The blast wouldn't affect Earth but it would be the first time scientists could watch a known asteroid create a lunar crater in real-time. The data gathered from this impact could help scientists understand more about other craters on the lunar surface.
