Scientists Show Nuclear Blast Could Save Earth from Large Asteroid

Scientists showed that a nuclear explosion could shift a huge asteroid by changing its path and vaporising a portion of its surface.

Nuclear Blast Could Save Earth from Large Asteroid. (Image Credit: NASA Hubble Space Telescope/Unsplash)

Summary : 

• Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have shown how an asteroid may be successfully pushed off track by a nuclear explosion.
• By vaporising a portion of the asteroid’s surface, the method releases gas that accelerates the object in the other direction.
• When dealing with huge asteroids or in circumstances when warning time is limited, this tactic may be essential.
• According to research that was published in Nature Physics, the technique could be able to handle asteroids that are up to 2.5 miles wide, and maybe bigger ones given enough warning.

The Ability of Nuclear-Assisted Planetary Defence

In a ground-breaking experiment, scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have shown how Earth may be shielded from a large asteroid headed straight for Earth by a nuclear explosion. According to the experiment, some of the asteroid’s surface would heat and evaporate due to a blast’s radiation pulse, creating a growing cloud of gas that would push the asteroid off track.

The technique uses Newton’s third law of motion to turn the asteroid into a type of rocket and propel it away from Earth rather than completely destroying it. “The vaporised material shoots off one side, forcing the asteroid in the reverse direction,” The Guardian quoted the study’s principal author, Dr. Nathan Moore. 

Since the asteroid that killed out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, there has been fear over the possibility of catastrophic asteroid strikes on Earth. Smaller space rocks may still do major damage, despite the rarity of big asteroid strikes. This was seen in the 2013 Chelyabinsk case in Russia, where a meteor with a width of 60 feet wounded over 1,200 people.

Conducting Nuclear Option Testing

This study published on Nature.com, is the first thorough illustration of planetary defence with nuclear assistance. Moore and his colleagues exposed simulated pieces of asteroids to powerful X-ray pulses akin to those produced by a nuclear blast. The asteroid material was vaporised by the radiation, which also caused it to accelerate to over 200 mph. This technique, according to experts, might divert asteroids up to 2.5 miles across.

In contrast to Hollywood portrayals in films such as Armageddon, the plan does not entail blasting or digging into the asteroid. Rather, a standoff explosion close to the surface of the asteroid is thought to be more effective, preserving the majority of the asteroid while changing its course.

Despite its promise, experts like Imperial College professor Gareth Collins prefer non-nuclear strategies like kinetic impactors wherever they can. Still, nuclear deflection could be the best course of action for bigger asteroids or shorter warning periods. The testing and improvement of asteroid deflection techniques will continue with more studies, such as NASA’s Dart project and ESA’s Hera mission.

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