Previously, NASA said that at present, no hazardous asteroids are coming their way to affect the planet but many now wonder, what will happen if one did hit the Earth?
According to The Sun, depending on the size of the space rock, the impact of an asteroid could be an extinction-level occurrence and scientists have developed simulations to determine how bad it could be.
As specified in a TweakTown report, notably, asteroids are affecting this planet, although because of their minimal diameter, they typically burn up in the atmosphere of Earth even before they make it to the surface.
Not a lot of asteroids are making it to the surface, although if one did and it was huge enough, the impacts it could result in may be felt through the whole planet.
One instance of this is the asteroid finishing off the dinosaurs, estimated to have been seven-and-a-half miles in diameter and traveling about 27,000 mph.
A mosaic image of asteroid Eros at its north pole, taken by the robotic NEAR Shoemaker space probe February 14, 2000 immediately after the spacecraft's insertion into orbit.
Impact on Earth
According to physics and astronomy professor Britt Scharringhausen, from Beloit College, the Earth would experience shockwaves, fires, acid rain, earthquakes, winter, and blocking out of the sun that would last for about two years.
The professor explained that not all life on this planet would expire if an effect of this scale were to take place, and humans could be very well, one of the surviving species.
He added, all of the ash coming from the fire, as well as all of the "finger-grain debris" from the effect, will hang out in the atmosphere for quite some time, and the Earth is getting what's known as an impact winter. More so, it is going to block the sunlight, and the entire ash falling into the ocean is acidifying the top layers.
Therefore, things are burned, everything in the ocean is killed, and the Earth gets frozen. This then happens for around two years of constant winter.
Saving the Planet
Some experts have been worried that this planet is not yet ready to protect itself from possibly deadly asteroids.
In 2019, a separate report from The Sun said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk once expressed concern on Twitter saying, "a huge rock "will hit Earth," ultimately, and humans have no defense.
The so-called monster asteroid also known as Apophis is not expected to come near this planet until 2029 although it should come so close that billions of people will be able to view it with the bare eye.
NASA for its part is looking into some defense approaches, though. The space agency launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART mission.
Commenting on the mission, NASA said it is its first-ever mission intended for investigation and demonstration of one approach of asteroid deflection by changing the motion of asteroid in space "through kinetic impact."
Moreover, the DART craft needed to slam into a tiny asteroid also known as Dimorphos in September, with the objective of moving it off course.
Related information about the possible occurrence if asteroid hits the Earth is shown on Space Byte's YouTube video below:
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