Warning by NASA about the asteroid.

sakshi mittal 0



America’s space agency NASA said in a tabletop exercise report that it can occur that a dangerous asteroid strike to the Earth and we are not prepared now for this. The probability that the asteroid will strike the Earth is 72%. According to the report of NASA, the time will come after 14.5 years, and the date mentioned is 12 July 2038.


What is an Asteroid?

 An asteroid is a rocky body smaller than a planet that orbits the sun. Most of the asteroids are found orbiting our sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. The range of asteroid size is from Vesta—the largest asteroid at about 329 miles (530 km) in diameter to bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 m) across. The total mass of all asteroids is less than Earth’s moon.



Classification of Asteroids Asteroids are classified into 3 main types:

  • Main Asteroid Belt: Most known asteroids orbit within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, generally with not very elongated orbits. The belt is estimated to contain between 1.1 and 1.9 million asteroids larger than 1 km in diameter and millions of smaller ones. Early in the solar system's history, the gravity of the newly formed Jupiter ended the formation of the planetary bodies in this region and caused the small bodies to collide, forming the asteroids we observe today.
  • Trojans: These asteroids share an orbit with a larger planet but do not collide with it because they gather around two special places in the orbit, where the gravitational pull from the sun and the planet is balanced by a Trojan’s tendency to otherwise fly out of orbit. The Jupiter Trojans form the most significant property of Trojan asteroids. It is thought that they are as numerous as the asteroids in the asteroid belt. There are Mars and Neptune Trojans, and NASA announced the discovery of an Earth Trojan in 2011.
  • Near Earth Asteroids: Earth asteroids that actually cross Earth’s orbital path are known as Earth-crossers.


Fifth Asteroid Impact Exercise: For the benefit of all, NASA released a summary Thursday of the fifth biennial Planetary Defence Interagency Tabletop Exercise. NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office, in partnership with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, convened the tabletop exercise to inform and assess our ability as a nation to respond effectively to the threat of a potentially hazardous asteroid or comet.


Although there are no known significant asteroid impact threats for the foreseeable future, hypothetical exercises provide valuable insights by exploring the risks, response options, and opportunities for collaboration posed by varying scenarios, from minor regional damage with little warning to potential global catastrophes predicted years or even decades in the future.


“The uncertainties in these initial conditions for the exercise allowed participants to consider a particularly challenging set of circumstances,” said Lindley Johnson, planetary defence officer emeritus NASA Headquarters in Washington. “A large asteroid impact is potentially the only natural disaster humanity has the technology to predict years in advance and take action to prevent.”


During the Exercise: In addition to NASA, about 100 representatives from US government agencies and international partners took part in this exercise. According to initial calculations, a 72% chance of hitting Earth in approximately 14 years.


In the near future, there is no threat to the Earth from any asteroid, but if there was a threat, this was done to assess the capacity to respond to it.

Courses of action discussed:

  • Wait until November for new observation
  • US-led Flyby—encourage international partners to develop missions
  • Purpose—To build Rendezvous (make a hybrid mission)

- Swati Chaurasiya.
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