A DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER

Science fiction or scientific fact?

Nineteen years from now, in 2036, an enormous asteroid is going to collide with the Earth. If it isn’t stopped, it will fall into the Pacific Ocean, creating a gigantic tsunami. And no, this is not a science fiction plot. It’s a serious threat. There are millions of asteroids in the solar system, and if a large one hit the Earth, it would be a disaster.

What would happen?

So, let’s say, a large asteroid hit the Earth, what could happen? The impact would be massive; imagine colliding with a rock as big as a mountain that’s travelling at 20km/h. If an asteroid landed in the ocean, there would be a huge tsunami. If it landed in a remote area of land, fewer people would die. However, dust would cloud the sky, and block light and heat from the sun.

Why hasn't it happened already?

The short answer is: it has happened before. About 65 million years ago, most life on Earth suddenly disappeared – including all the dinosaurs. Scientists believe that this was because of a huge asteroid which changed the Earth’s weather. The asteroid was at least 10 km wide and landed in Mexico, leaving a hole more than 180 km across.  

What can we do about it?

Scientists believe that there are two options; we could blow up the asteroid with a nuclear weapon, or we could make it change direction. Both options seem to have disadvantages. If we broke the asteroid into smaller pieces, it might be more dangerous – and it’s not clear if we could change its direction. If we failed, we would probably have no other chance.