Asteroid collisions have been responsible for Earth's monumental landmarks throughout history, affecting the climate, reshuffling the planet's deepest geology, and the cause of the extinction of many species. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission aims to prepare for future asteroid collisions that might also affect the planet in similar ways.
But scientists clarify that Earth will not be at risk during the test and is currently not under threat of an asteroid collision. As Space.com reported, the American space agency plans to launch DART spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon rocket on November 24 at 1:20 a.m. EST, 0620 GMT or November 23 at 10:20 local time.
Illustration of DART on course to impact Didymos B, viewed from behind the DART spacecraft
How Safe is Earth From Asteroid Collisions?
NASA NEOWISE principal investigator astronomer Amy Mainzer told Space.com that the possibility of an asteroid threatening life on Earth is improbable. She said that a significant global event must be rare because humans would not be here if that were possible.
However, smaller sizes of impacts that cause severe regional damages are possible as there are many more objects in the universe that could potentially hit the planet in hundreds or thousands of years. Mainzer explained that she and other astronomers work to fill the gap in understanding what exists near Earth.
Near-Earth objects are those located within 1.3 astronomical units or 120.9 million miles (194.5 kilometers) from Earth. As of now, scientists have recorded about 30% to 40% of large objects near the planet. That means more work is needed to identify the remaining space rocks floating near the planet.
For example, the near-Earth object Apophis that measures about 1,100 feet, is expected to pass Earth on April 13, 2029, at a nominal distance of 19,662 miles (31,643 km) from Earth's surface, according to EarthSky. But scientists said that the asteroid has no chance of impacting Earth in the next 100 years.
Why is NASA's DART Spacecraft Smashing Towards an Asteroid?
According to National Geographic, an asteroid passing close to Earth is more common than most people realize. The planet is annually hit by dozens of asteroids that are big enough to cause regional damage that could affect as big as five million miles of Earth. On average, scientists estimate that two large space rocks could cataclysmically impact a continent.
Moreover, Earth will almost certainly confront a large space rock at some point in the future that could endanger life on the planet. That is why it would be prudent to have a plan for protecting Earth from such impacts.
NASA's DART spacecraft mission is a promising strategy in stopping a killer asteroid by smashing into it while it is still far enough to alter its course. The spacecraft will smash the miniature asteroid moon Dimorphos that orbits the larger space rock Didymos, which was chosen because of its far distance from Earth.
Astronomers from Earth will measure any change in the smaller space rock's orbit, hopefully providing a good indicator of whether the mission has successfully deflected the asteroid.
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