Are we on the verge of extinction? According to a leading scientist, a surprise asteroid strike could wipe out humanity, and we are not prepared.
According to a leading astrophysicist, a surprise asteroid impact could wipe out the human species in just a matter of time, as thousands of potentially hazardous objects move towards Earth. It is a case of when an asteroid collision will happen, rather than if it will happen.
According to Dr. Alan Fitzusimmon, it’s a case of WHEN an asteroid collision will occur and not IF it will occur, warning that each day experts discover new potentially hazardous objects that could collide with our planet.
The experts warned that an UNEXPECTED impact in today’s world could annihilate major cities on Earth, and a LARGER asteroid could not only do that but annihilate the human species as well.
The warning issued by Professor Fitzsimmons highlights the threat for Asteroid Day, a global event on June 30. Professor Simmons will be joined by scientist Brian Cox and astronauts such as Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart and International Space Station astronaut Nicole Stott.
“It is important to know that scientists and engineers have made great strides in detecting Near-Earth Asteroids and understanding the threat posed by them. Over 1,800 potentially hazardous objects have been discovered so far, but there are many more waiting to be found,” said Professor Fitzsimmons.
“Astronomers find Near-Earth Asteroids every day and most are harmless. But it is still possible the next Tunguska would take us by surprise, and although we are much better at finding larger asteroids, that does us no good if we are not prepared to do something about them,” added Professor Fitzsimmons.
The warning comes as a reminder that in 1908, a small asteroid is believed to have exploded over Tunguska in Siberia, creating a cataclysmic event resulting in the destruction of everything in an 800 square mile radius.
The Tunguska explosion is believed to have been produced by either a comet or asteroid speeding through our planet’s atmosphere at a speed greater than 33,000 miles per hour, eventually resulting in an explosion with a force equal to 185 Hiroshima bombs.
According to scientists, the Tunguska event objects most likely entered our planet’s atmosphere at around 19 miles per second and was most likely extremely fragile, one of the reasons ‘it’ exploded around 5 miles above the surface.
But the Tunguska event wasn’t the only one to have posed a major threat to our planet and humanity.
In January of 2017, an asteroid the size of a ten story building barely missed Earth passing at a distance half that of the moon.
Mankind is still not prepared to deal with such dangers.
Countless asteroids and comets speed across our solar system orbiting the sun. Every once in a while we cross paths with some of them. It is believed that a space rock of around 10 kilometers in diameter—aka Dinosaur-destroyer—could spell doom for our civilization. However, even though such space rocks are rare according to experts, an asteroid fight the size could cause irreparable damage to our civilization.
Source: Scientists warn of asteroid danger
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