Could an asteroid wipe out life on Earth – and what are we doing about it?
Even as the asteroid hurtled towards Earth, we were arguing. Last month, for instance, the Earth was struck by an asteroid that was spotted just hours before it crashed into us – it was so small that it burnt up in the sky without posing any danger, but it was a widely-heralded reminder of the danger that might come with a larger one. Knowing all the information about the asteroid, including the risk it posed, would require quick action and substantial funding – but it would be hard to convince those in power to spend time and money on a threat that couldn’t be quantified. “Many stakeholders expressed that they would want as much information about the asteroid as soon as possible but expressed skepticism that funding would be forthcoming to obtain such information without more definitive knowledge of the risk,” Nasa’s report on the test notes. They didn’t pose any kind of threat to Earth, but the test allowed scientists to see whether we might be able to change the path of an asteroid that did – and it was successful.
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