Sandia National Laboratories Publishes Study on Deflecting Irregular Asteroids
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4 Articles
Sandia National Laboratories publishes study on deflecting irregular asteroids
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Sandia National Laboratory is studying how nuclear X-ray blasts could help deflect an asteroid headed to Earth, nudging it off course and saving the planet. Researcher Nathan Moore said older simulations used a sphere to represent a possible asteroid, which made the math easier, but most asteroids are actually lumpy, irregular shapes. [...]
A nuclear explosion near a dangerous asteroid could evaporate its surface and bring it out of its orbit through the recoil. New simulations now show how much effectiveness depends on the shape and alignment of the celestial body. In a test asteroid, the calculated deflection fluctuated almost by a factor of five. Albuquerque (U.S.A.). A dangerous asteroid [...] The post Where must an atomic bomb explode to deflect an asteroid as much as possible…
Asteroid Defense Hits a Lump in the Road
If a dangerous asteroid were headed toward Earth, one defense could be a nuclear detonation to blast one side with X-rays and nudge it off course. But new simulations suggest that for a lumpy, irregular asteroid, exactly where those X-rays hit could make a huge difference.
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