US EditionBlind Spot Near Venus Hides City-Killing Asteroids
A newly identified hidden population of Venus co-orbital asteroids could cause city-level destruction on Earth, with some measuring up to 300 meters, scientists warn.
- A global research effort published in July 2025 uncovered a previously unrecognized group of asteroids moving in Venus’s orbital path, which remain undetectable by existing telescopes.
- Researchers combined mathematical models and 36,000-year computer simulations to track asteroid dynamics, finding many asteroids exist in nearly circular orbits that keep them hidden from Earth.
- The study identified only 20 known Venus co-orbital asteroids, mostly with elongated orbits, while models suggest a larger population with low eccentricities evades detection but could cross Earth's orbit during transitions.
- These asteroids, approximately 300 meters wide, could create impact craters 3 to 4.5 kilometers in diameter and unleash energies equivalent to hundreds of megatons, causing city-scale destruction if they struck Earth.
- The research urges planetary defense to include dedicated space missions near Venus and specialized telescopes to detect these elusive asteroids since Earth-based observations face serious limits.
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17 Articles
‘Invisible’ asteroids near Venus may threaten Earth in the future
Simulations indicate that objects currently undetectable due to their position may collide with the planet within a few thousand years. Observation will only be possible with specific space missions.
Undiscovered Venus Asteroids Could Pose City-Destroying Threat To Earth
Astronomers warn that Venus’s orbital neighborhood may hide large space rocks that slip past Earth’s telescopes. In A Nutshell SÃO PAULO — Scientists have spotted a major blind spot in how we watch for dangerous asteroids. New research shows that space rocks orbiting near Venus stay hidden from Earth’s telescopes,… The post Undiscovered Venus Asteroids Could Pose City-Destroying Threat To Earth appeared first on Study Finds.
'Invisible' asteroids near Venus may threaten Earth in the future
An international study led by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil has identified a little-known but potentially significant threat: Asteroids that share Venus's orbit and may completely escape current observational campaigns because of their position in the sky. These objects have not yet been observed, but they could strike Earth within a few thousand years. Their impacts could devastate large cities.
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