(ORDO NEWS) — No one saw the approach of the Chelyabinsk meteorite on February 15, 2013.
Just after sunrise, a 20-meter asteroid weighing 13,000 tons crashed into the atmosphere over the Ural Mountains at a speed of over 18 km/s.
It exploded in the atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km, releasing about half a megaton of energy.
Two minutes later, the shock wave hit the ground, damaging buildings. Approximately 1,500 people were injured by the scattered glass fragments.
Behind the radiance of the Sun, an unknown number of asteroids are hidden, moving along trajectories unknown to us. Many of them may be heading towards Earth.
“Asteroids the size of the Chelyabinsk meteorite hit the Earth roughly every 50 to 100 years,” explains Richard Moissle, head of ESA‘s planetary defense division.
“Injuries caused by air bursts or similar events could have been prevented if people had been informed of the impending collision and its predicted consequences.
With advance warning, local authorities could advise the public to stay away from windows.
The upcoming ESA NEOMIR mission will detect asteroids like Chelyabinsk, filling a vital gap in our current ability to predict and plan for dangerous impacts.”
NEOMIR will be located at the L1 Lagrange point between the Earth and the Sun. The infrared telescope will be able to detect asteroids 20 meters or larger that are currently hidden in sunlight.
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