The asteroids pose no immediate threat to Venus, even a slight gravitational disturbance could deflect them onto a path toward Earth.
At least three massive asteroids, powerful enough to obliterate an entire city, may be on a collision course with Earth in the coming weeks, as per a new study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
The asteroids- dubbed 2020 SB, 524522, and 2002 CL1- are currently locked in an orbit with Venus and remain hidden in the Sun’s glare, making them nearly undetectable from Earth using conventional telescopes. This “cosmic blind spot" makes last-minute detection almost impossible, researchers warned.
Do The Asteroids Pose Immediate Threat To Earth?
The international research team, led by Valerio Carruba of São Paulo State University in Brazil, said that while the asteroids pose no immediate threat to Venus, even a slight gravitational disturbance could deflect them onto a path toward Earth—with potentially catastrophic results.
“These co-orbital asteroids are protected from close encounters with Venus, but not with Earth," the researchers said.
What Could Be The Potential Impact If These Asteroids Hit Earth?
If one of the asteroids were to strike the planet, the impact could produce a crater over 3 kilometers wide and unleash energy equivalent to a million times the force of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
The threat is compounded by the limited warning time as a study by the Rubin Observatory in Chile noted that detecting such asteroids only two to four weeks before impact is far too late for any large-scale defense or evacuation efforts.
The only viable way to monitor these stealthy space rocks is with a dedicated space mission positioned near Venus, where such asteroids could be detected well in advance, the researchers said.
Mallika Soni