Latest news with #Zoozve
News18
a day ago
- Science
- News18
20 City-Killer Asteroids Lurking Near Venus, Slight Shift And They Could One Day Slam Into Earth
Last Updated: Scientists have found 20 large asteroids near Venus with erratic orbits that could one day collide with Earth, posing a potential risk to cities. But no immediate danger detected The universe is brimming with mysteries, and among them are millions of asteroids hurtling through space. Imagine if one of these massive rocks were to collide with Earth, an entire city could be obliterated within minutes. This is not science fiction, but a conclusion drawn from recent astronomical research. Scientists have identified 20 large asteroids orbiting near Venus that have the potential to strike Earth in the future. These asteroids have been ominously nicknamed 'city killers'. There are concerns that some of these space rocks might one day collide with our planet. Researchers from São Paulo State University in Brazil have been studying these asteroids and discovered that they orbit close to Venus. Among them are 'Trojan' asteroids, which maintain stable positions either ahead of or behind the planet in its orbit. Additionally, there is an unusual 'quasi-moon' called Zoozve. A striking feature of these asteroids is their erratic orbits, that is, they do not follow a fixed path around any planet, making them difficult to track. Scientists believe these asteroids originated from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and measure over 140 metres in diameter. A collision with any one of them could cause devastation on a city-wide scale. Currently, these asteroids are far from Earth and do not present an immediate threat. However, Venus is just 40 million kilometres away from our planet. If the orbits of these asteroids were to shift slightly, Earth's gravity could pull them in, making it challenging to prevent a catastrophic impact. Many of these asteroids follow unpredictable, zigzagging trajectories and only become visible when they approach Earth. Moreover, many remain hidden because the Sun's brightness obscures them from observation. Valerio Carruba, the lead author of the study, stated, 'We should not underestimate the potential danger posed by these bodies, but it is also true that there is no immediate cause for alarm." Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Earth in danger? Giant ‘city-killer' asteroids hiding near Venus could strike without warning; scientists warn
Astronomers have found a cluster of giant asteroids co-orbiting the Sun with Venus—space rocks that might become a long-term hazard for Earth. These are not ordinary asteroids. Sometimes referred to as city killers because of their size, many are bigger than 140 meters; they are big enough to wipe out a whole urban centre upon impact. More concerning is that they can be hidden from our telescopes by the Sun's intense glare. These so-called co-orbital asteroids don't move in orbit around Venus but follow similar orbits around the Sun. Out of the 20 discovered to date, there are "Trojan" asteroids, which stay either in front of or behind Venus in its orbit, and a quasi-moon called Zoozve. They are said to have originated from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and were later drawn into Venus's vicinity by gravitational forces. Venus co-orbital asteroids remain hidden and potentially hazardous The major issue with these asteroids is not only their size, but also how hard they are to observe. Their proximity to the Sun from our point on Earth means that it is almost impossible for telescopes on the ground to spot them. The light of the Sun drowns out their thin reflection, and astronomers are left with very brief glimpses of visibility; if any.". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tired of High Power Bills? Plug in This Device elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo Additionally, observational biases favor observing asteroids with high eccentricity (those that move widely around the Sun), as they sometimes come close to Earth where they are more easily seen. Conversely, low-eccentricity, co-orbital asteroids stand a better chance of being obscured in the Sun's glare as they go about their orbits. Currently, the discovered Venus co-orbitals do not threaten anything directly. However, that does not imply they are secure. The problem lies in their unstable orbits. Because these objects have no defined path, planetary gravitational jolts particularly from Earth may ultimately send them off course. Researchers at São Paulo State University ran simulations on what happened with these asteroids over 36,000 years. The simulations revealed that although most of the objects had relatively consistent paths, some had behavior that indicated they might wander towards Earth in the long term. Since Venus is only 40 million kilometers (25 million miles) from Earth, any change in course, even a small one, could eventually cause one of these giant space rocks to come close enough to raise alarms. Potential danger posed by hidden Venus co-orbital asteroids While the likelihood of a collision with Earth is still tiny, scientists advise that we shouldn't rule out the possibility altogether. Dr. Valerio Carruba, the author of the research, puts it this way, "I believe that we should not underestimate their potential danger, but I would not lose sleep over this issue." The largest problem is in the unknown; how many co-orbital asteroids remain undiscovered? Because many are likely to be blinded by sunlight and have orbits that conceal them, the 20 we are aware of might be only a small percentage of what actually exists. Why monitoring these asteroids is important As global efforts to enhance planetary defense increase, the finding of Venus co-orbitals emphasizes the necessity of widening our observation capacity particularly through space-based telescopes that are not confined by the Earth location or the Sun's effects. Since these objects don't have regular orbits and can change under the influence of gravity, they are some of the more unpredictable hazards in our solar system. The earlier we detect and follow them, the better equipped we'll be to react if one does stray into Earth's orbit. Why unseen Venus co-orbital asteroids demand careful attention Even though these asteroids are not an immediate threat, they are a blind spot in the study of near-Earth objects . Their size, proximity, and unpredictability qualify them for consideration not alarm, but attentiveness. The more our observation technologies and instruments become advanced, the more research such as this reminds us that what we cannot see can hurt us too and preparing for what we cannot see is an essential aspect of planetary defense. Also Read | Elon Musk's feud with Trump puts $22B SpaceX contracts at risk; what it means for America's space future
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
City-killer asteroids orbiting near Venus could someday hit Earth without warning, says study
A swarm of giant 'city killer' asteroids hiding near Venus could someday pose a threat to Earth. Also known as co-orbital asteroids, these space rocks are difficult to track since they often travel near planets without orbiting them and have no fixed trajectory. According to a new study by astronomers at the Sao Paulo State University, Venus currently has 20 known giant asteroids around it. These include 'trojan' asteroids, which are either fixed in front or back of a planet's orbital plane and a quasi-moon named Zoozve. All of these 20 killer asteroids are said to have originated from our Solar System's asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter are likely bigger than 140 metres in size, meaning they could potentially devastate a city if they hit Earth. While these space rocks don't pose any threat from where they are right now, since they don't have a fixed orbital path, the Earth's gravitational pull could put them on a collision course with the planet. What makes the threat real is that Venus, the planet closest to Earth, is just 25 million miles or 40 million kilometres away. The research paper, published on arXiv, simulated the behaviour of these city-killer asteroids with less elongated objects over 36,000 years. The result hinted that some of these could eventually come near Earth and may be pulled by our planet's gravitational pull, but the chances of this happening are pretty unlikely. Most known asteroids near Venus have an eccentric orbit, which makes them easy to see during short observation windows. However, the study hints that there may be several more objects with lower orbital eccentricities that are hidden by the Sun's glare. As it turns out, we may not be able to spot these hidden space rocks until they approach Earth. The astronomers who published the study said that 'this is most likely caused by observational biases since asteroids with larger eccentricities may approach the Earth and are easier to detect.' But since the exact number of these hidden objects is still unknown, it is pretty hard to say what risk they pose to Earth. 'I believe that we should not underestimate their potential danger, but I would not lose sleep over this issue,' said Valerio Carruba, the lead author of the study.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
An 'invisible threat': Swarm of hidden 'city killer' asteroids around Venus could one day collide with Earth, simulations show
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A hidden swarm of "city killer" space rocks, known as co-orbital asteroids, is likely hiding around Venus and could pose an "invisible threat" to Earth over the coming millennia if the asteroids are not found, new simulations suggest. However, there is no immediate danger to our planet, researchers told Live Science. Co-orbital asteroids are space rocks that orbit the sun alongside a planet or other large body without truly orbiting the larger object. There are currently 20 known co-orbitals around Venus — ranging from "Trojan asteroids," which are fixed either in front of or behind a planet in its orbital plane, to a closely circling "quasimoon," known as Zoozve — all of which likely originated from the solar system's main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dozens of similar co-orbitals also tag along with Earth, and more are being discovered all the time. All of the Venusian space rocks are likely wider than 460 feet (140 meters) — large enough to be considered "city killers," meaning they could potentially wipe out a heavily populated area if they impacted our planet. Although the co-orbitals pose no threat to us from afar, a close approach to Earth could cause them to be pulled away from their gravitational anchor — and thus put them on a collision course with our planet. Venus is one of our closest neighbors and comes closer to Earth than any other planet — within around 25 million miles (40 million km) at its nearest point — making its trailing asteroids a credible threat to our world. Related: Undiscovered extra moons may orbit Earth. Could they help us become an interplanetary species? Researchers think there are more hidden space rocks lurking around Venus. All but one of the planet's known co-orbitals have eccentricities greater than 0.38, meaning they have very elongated trajectories around the planet. This suggests there is an observational bias, likely because objects with lower eccentricities are probably being obscured by the sun's glare. Co-orbitals can also move around relative to Venus, which can change their chances of colliding with Earth in the future. Previous research has shown that this likely happens to the space rocks once roughly every 12,000 years — known as a co-orbital cycle. In a new study, which was uploaded May 21 to the preprint server arXiv and is currently undergoing peer review, researchers carried out a series of computer simulations to gauge whether hidden asteroids with lower eccentricities could threaten Earth. To do this, the researchers "cloned" known co-orbitals with eccentricities below 0.38 and simulated how they might behave over a 36,000-year period (three co-orbital cycles). The simulations revealed that some of the newly added co-orbitals could pose a threat to Earth during this period. However, the study offers no indication of how likely a future collision really is, because it is "hard to predict" how many co-orbitals there really are, study lead author Valerio Carruba, an astronomer at São Paulo State University in Brazil, told Live Science in an email. "How many exactly is an open question." Since the new study was first uploaded, several media outlets have overhyped the risk of an imminent collision, with several tabloids claiming Earth could be hit by Venusian asteroids "within weeks." But there is nothing in the study to support those claims. "None of the current co-orbital objects will impact Earth soon," Carruba clarified. Carruba has been disappointed by some of the reporting surrounding the new study, but is glad the topic is being covered. "There has been some sensationalism about this research, and our work has been cited with some liberties," he said. "But we hope that this attention could raise interest in a very exciting class of asteroids, which should be more carefully monitored." Related: 'Planet killer' asteroids are hiding in the sun's glare. Can we stop them in time? The researchers also highlighted the recent discovery of the city killer asteroid 2024 YR4, which was initially predicted to have a 2.3% chance of colliding with Earth in 2032, before the odds were later downgraded to zero. This was an important reminder of the importance of detecting and monitoring potentially hazardous asteroids, they wrote. RELATED STORIES —No, NASA hasn't warned of an impending asteroid strike in 2038. Here's what really happened. —Earth's gravity knocked pyramid-size asteroid off course during recent ultra-close flyby, NASA images reveal —US Representatives worry Trump's NASA budget plan will make it harder to track dangerous asteroids New observational tools — such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will capture its first light later this year — will improve scientists' ability to spot dangerous space rocks, including Venus' co-orbitals, in the coming decades. However, it may also be prudent to send a telescope to Venus' orbit to specifically hunt for these objects, the researchers wrote. "I believe that we should not underestimate their potential danger, but I would not lose sleep over this issue," Carruba said. "Soon, our understanding of this population will improve."
