NASA doesn’t rule out an asteroid the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa hitting Earth in 2046
(ORDO NEWS) — Valentine’s Day in 2046 could turn into Armageddon, according to NASA experts.
According to their calculations, in 23 years, on February 14, a destructive asteroid the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa could crash into the Earth.
The American cities of Los Angeles and Washington may become the site of the fall of the 50-meter asteroid DW 2023 on February 14, 2046, according to astronomers of the American space agency.
Although, according to scientists, other collision scenarios are also possible – the predicted zones of impact extend from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.
The collision of DW 2023 with the Earth in terms of power will be comparable to the similar Tunguska event that occurred in Siberia 114 years ago – 12 megatons. Such a collision could destroy a metropolis.
NASA said it would take a few more weeks to collect data on the dangerous asteroid. The chances of a collision with the Earth are tentatively estimated as 1 in 560.
It is possible that further observations will reduce this ratio to zero. Researchers continue to monitor the 2023 DW and update forecasts as new data becomes available, NASA said.
The last significant collision of asteroids with the Earth occurred on February 15, 2013 near Chelyabinsk. A meteorite 20 meters wide caused an explosion equivalent to 500,000 tons of TNT.
The shock wave twice passed over the surface of the globe. This resulted in minor damage and injuries to more than 1,600 people.
NASA recently conducted a successful DART experiment to deviate the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos orbiting the larger Didymos.
The spacecraft succeeded in reducing the period of Dimorphos circulation by 33 minutes. After that, NASA announced the creation of a system to protect the Earth from dangerous objects from space, Plus-one.ru told.
In the first days of March, three potentially dangerous asteroids passed by the Earth. Scientists keep a close eye on such objects, because even minimal changes in their trajectory can lead to a collision with the planet.
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