How can asteroids be dangerous

Using work from a variety of sources and projects, Chodas estimates that something like 20, such objects in the range of meters or larger must exist in the space surrounding Earth.

The range of sizes of these objects is believed to be from about 1 meter to 20 meters. These 20 radar images reveal the meter-wide asteroid HQ , which passed within 1.

An incoming meter asteroid will produce an airburst event, unleashing 1 megaton of energy, and this will happen on average every years. A meter asteroid will strike Earth on average once every 2, years and will cause local scale devastation as it hits with 10 megatons of energy. When asteroids are larger yet, the potential for widespread damage and deaths on Earth rises significantly.

A meter asteroid will impact Earth on average every 20, years, according to Harris, and will unleash megatons of energy, causing regional scale devastation. A meter asteroid will impact Earth roughly every 70, years, unleashing 2, megatons of energy and creating continent-wide devastation. A space rock twice that size, a meter rock will impact Earth about every , years, impacting with 20, megatons of energy, and creating widespread but not global devastation.

It is the largest potential impactors, of course, that could create the biggest trouble. A 1-kilometer asteroid will impact Earth once every , years, on average, according to Chodas, impacting with the force of , megatons and causing a possible global catastrophe. Every 30 million years, on average, a 5-kilometer space rock will impact Earth, unleashing 10 million megatons and causing an event above the threshold of a global catastrophe.

The bottom line? A 1- or 2-kilometer asteroid will impact Earth, on average, about once every million years, and could produce a global catastrophe.

Once a hazy unknown, the distant future of life on Earth has now become relatively clear. The Sun is a slowly varying star and is gradually increasing its radiation as time rolls on.

Set the current threat of global warming aside: If humans can survive all the other perils we face as inhabitants of a planet, increased solar radiation will ultimately kill off the human race, on planet Earth, a billion years or less from now.

But as we have just seen, many catastrophic asteroid impacts likely will occur within that time frame. Are we worried about a catastrophic event in the next 5 or 10 years? Or 1, years? Or 5,? Perhaps not. But what we know about the near-Earth object population, and about the law of averages, says there is plenty to prepare for over the span of a billion years, in terms of defending our planet and our lives. We might have as many as 10 more impacts like the one that killed the dinosaurs.

We might have as many as 1, impacts by a 1-kilometer asteroid over the next billion years, any of which could cause a global catastrophe. The inventory of large near-Earth objects is pretty close to complete. The boulder-strewn surface of the large main-belt asteroid 21 Lutetia stands out in this view taken in However, the inventory of near-Earth asteroids is not entirely complete.

Chodas estimates that planetary scientists know of about 90 percent of such objects larger than 1 kilometer. They have probably discovered more than 50 percent of the near-Earth objects a few hundred meters across.

The space rocks measuring between and meters in our neighborhood? We probably know of roughly 15 percent of them. And the smaller objects, those of a few dozen meters or smaller? Planetary scientists know of 1 percent of those or less. So the cataloging and analysis of orbits must continue. Over time, on the scales of several hundred thousand years, asteroids can migrate into near-Earth space from the more distant main belt of asteroids, the well-stocked group of space rocks orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

And far beyond the main belt, out in the vicinity of Neptune and Pluto, lies the Kuiper Belt, another huge population of icy asteroids and comets. And of course far beyond the Kuiper Belt, at the periphery of our solar system, is the Oort Cloud, an icy reservoir of perhaps as many as 2 trillion comets.

The risk to Earth from impacts is clearly significant from the near-Earth object population, present but much less likely from the main belt of asteroids, and possible but unlikely from the Kuiper Belt and beyond. The risk certainly lessens greatly with greater distance from Earth. According to planetary scientists Hal Levison and Luke Dones of the Southwest Research Institute, the risk from the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud is an order of magnitude, and possibly two orders of magnitude, less than from closer asteroids.

Moreover, Boslough raises the question of a particularly menacing population of small objects. Many amateur astronomers recall the exciting days in when backyard telescopes revealed dark blotches in the cloudtops of Jupiter, caused by the infalling pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

Small objects whose orbits have evolved can fall into Earth with little or no warning, as was the case with Chelyabinsk. Surveys should be extended to find all such objects like TC 3 and AA, he suggests. The risk from asteroids impacting Earth and causing widespread damage, death, and catastrophe is real, and is present every day of our lives. But it is to a degree a counterintuitive threat, which makes it hard for some people to take seriously. The risk at any given moment is almost nonexistent, but given enough time, a catastrophic event will happen again.

Do we need to worry about an asteroid strike during our next foray out to lunch? Probably not. Unless we do something about it, that is.

Large asteroid impacts affect the entire planet, whereas smaller ones have a more localized effect. If you multiply the impact frequency by the area affected, the larger events are more frequent. That balance is changing as planetary scientists discover more bodies, but the fact remains that the risk is still slightly greater from the remaining undiscovered big objects than from the small ones. Understanding the risks from asteroid impacts on Earth is a pretty young exercise, as is the case with much of astronomy and planetary science.

We now know that future dangerous impacts will happen, though they may be many years away. It is an insurance policy for planet Earth. In fact, one young man took part in four SCT summer experiences and served as a student leader for four consecutive years. He had his own mission. On his fourth and final mission he realized his personal goal and SCT mission! Many consider the International Summer Camps to be the ideal choice when it comes down to picking an educational and fun event for children.

But there is one important detail that people seem to overlook. These camps actually create a window of opportunity for parents to embark on a journey that is full of exploration and adventure while their children are having the time of their lives at a summer camp! This has actually been the case for several families that have sent their children to Space Camp Turkey which is located in Izmir.

There are several reasons why Izmir is considered as one of the best places to visit in Turkey with the family. First of all, let us start with the fact that Space Camp Turkey is located in the beautiful Aegean city of Izmir. The city, also known as Smyrna, is the third most populous city in Turkey.

It has hosted dozens of different civilizations throughout its long history and for this reason it is full of historical sites. For a list of things to do in Izmir and some brief information, we strongly suggest you check out the website of Municipality of Izmir by clicking here. Secondly, assuming that a potential trip to Izmir would happen during the summer season, for many, it is important to have access to a beach.

These beach resort towns are well connected with Izmir city center, also have some of the most popular blue flag beaches around the province. The scientific and entertaining activities taking place at the Galactic Summer Camp offer a unique opportunity for children to learn while having fun , build new friendships , and make the best out of their summer holidays.

Summer science camp activities are held in six-day periods during June-August. Summer camp programs offered in some weeks are differentiated with special themes such as the Apollo Week or the Asteroid Week. Click on the program name to learn more about our Galactic Summer Camp programs. So, as you can understand from the reasons stated above, for an adult to plan out a holiday for themselves in Izmir while their children have a blast at Space Camp Turkey is a very feasible option.

This way, the parents get to travel with their children on the way to Izmir and back. Also, in cases where the child or children have to leave the camp early, the parents are always in considerably close distance. There is nothing more comforting than that.

I just wanted to say thank you once again for all of your efforts and care in keeping my daughter healthy and safe. She had an amazing time, she is still talking about the experience and her amazing counsellors. Your team there has left a permanent and positive impression on her.

I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful experience you have provided to my child and for the constant reassurance you provided to me, we are most grateful!

Thank you again and I look forward to my son having an opportunity to come to your space camp in a few years! Are you a tourism agency looking to organize trips to Turkey? Maybe a teacher in search of an authentic, outside-the-classroom experience for students? Go ahead and check out our Customized Outer Space Adventure Program now and start tailoring your own space adventure! Astronauts must be wearing their spacesuits when they get out of their spacecraft and are exposed to the "space environment," but why?

A common definition of space is known as the Karman Line , an imaginary boundary kilometers 62 miles above mean sea level. Unfortunately, the danger zone after this line is not a suitable environment for humans to live. The most common reason for this is that there is little or no respirable oxygen in that area.

Almost all living organisms utilize oxygen for energy generation. As we breathe in, oxygen enters the lungs and diffuses into the blood. Our lungs, working as a tiny factory, throw out the carbon dioxide molecule formed by 2 oxygen and 1 carbon atom at the end of the process.

Although oxygen deprivation seems to be the only real danger, it is actually only one of the dangers. If you are going to go to space one day, perhaps the most important thing to take with you may be the spacesuit. Spacesuits are like a small spacecraft and protect astronauts from dangers in space. The Primary Life Support System PLSS , which looks like a backpack, provides the suit with pressurized oxygen and ventilation while removing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace contaminants.

The spacesuits used on the International Space Station today remain there all the time. In other words, astronauts do not have their own space suit. The same spacesuit can be worn by several astronauts, according to the assignments from the Mission Control Center. As you can imagine, the physical structure of every astronaut is not the same. Some astronauts may be tall, some are short, some may be a little leaner or overweight than others.

It is precisely for this reason that astronauts have space suits in three different sizes small, medium and large that they use on the International Space Station. Since the connection points of these spacesuit are the same, an astronaut can make a special combination from these three different sizes if needed. First of all, it can eliminate the oxygen deprivation that we mentioned at the beginning for a certain period of time.

Each spacesuit has two oxygen tanks that work with a carbon dioxide removal system to allow a 6 to 8. Afterwards, the astronaut must return to the space station in order to refill the empty oxygen tanks.

Another danger is related to the temperature in space. Unfortunately, the temperature in space is either too high or too low for the human body to stand.

For example, ,if an astronaut would go on a spacewalk without a spacesuit when the sun is shining brightly, he or she would suddenly encounter a temperature of about degrees Celsius with the effect of radiation. Without the sun, the temperature suddenly drops to about degrees Celsius. This situation happens very, very suddenly because there is no atmosphere in space. Here, the only thing that keeps the astronaut safe in these difficult conditions is again the spacesuit.

Another important item on the spacesuit is the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment LCVG , which incorporates clear plastic tubing through which chilled liquid water flows for body temperature control, as well as ventilation tubes for waste gas removal. Thus, the astronaut can always work comfortably in the spacesuit. In addition to all these, the astronaut must wear a spacesuit to be protected from pressure, radiation and meteor dust.

Even though we can't feel it, air is constantly pressing down on us with a tremendous force. We cannot see this force with our eyes, but we constantly experience the results of this effect, especially when driving on steep hills or getting off an airplane. This pressure created by the air and the internal pressure created by the beat of our heart is constantly in balance. As we just explained, there is no air in space.

This means that there is no air pressure in space. Therefore, spacesuits are inflated with a certain amount of air, just like a balloon, to apply the necessary external pressure to the astronaut. Thus, the body fluids of astronauts can remain in liquid form during a spacewalk.

There is a special layer of atmosphere in the world that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. However, since there is no atmosphere layer in space, the sun's harmful rays , also called radiation, can cause great harm to astronauts. Space suits have layers to protect astronauts from radiation and reflect incoming rays. Also included in the spacesuit is a gold-plated visor section to protect the astronauts' eyes.

Meteor dusts are small particles orbiting the earth. Today's camera and computer technology have made it possible to scan the entire sky every night to discover incoming asteroids before they hit. In nerd-speak, Moore's law met the Universe and Moore's law won. The U. Congress responds to the asteroid impact threat. In , Congress directed NASA to evaluate the asteroid danger and to report on methods to survey for dangerous asteroids and on ways to divert those on a course for Earth the George E.

Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act. NASA's report "Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Analysis of Alternatives" stated: By , it ought to be possible to find at least 90 percent of asteroids, diameter meters feet or larger megaton or more worth of impact energy that come close to the Earth.

This could be accomplished by immediate, dedicated ground-based surveys or by a satellite that looks for the thermal glow of asteroids. NASA also discussed ideas on how to deflect an incoming asteroid. Deflection methods depend strongly on finding a deadly asteroid long before the predicted impact time since the feeble push we could exert to move an asteroid would take a long time, and because of the lengthy process involved to mount such a mission.

This means that to find an Earth-impacting asteroid early enough to divert it, scientists should expect it to be at any random place in the Solar System, and at a distance comparable to that of the Earth from the Sun about 93 million miles.

Time, distance, and because a meter foot diameter asteroid is really very dim and small in the vastness of the Solar System, are what make it so difficult and expensive to determine the danger. We have reproduced some of the figures from the NRC report here. This graph shows the current, best estimate of how many asteroids are orbiting, waiting to hit the Earth. The bottom scale shows the size of the objects.

The left scale shows how many are that size or larger. One big arrow shows the "K-T Impactor" that killed the dinosaurs with an explosion of a million megatons and is expected to happen every million years.

The second arrow shows the "Tunguska" explosion of a few megatons and is expected to occur every few hundred years. Technically, this graph shows the number of NEOs, objects whose orbits descend to 1. These are potentially dangerous objects because even if they miss us now, their orbits may slowly change from interactions with planets such as Jupiter, pressure from the solar wind, and even collisions. Impact effects Model of fatalities per event for impacts of various size NEOs.

So what is the effect of such an explosion? Earth is protected by a thick atmosphere, the equivalent of 10 meters 30 feet of seawater. This layer causes small incoming rocks to explode in the atmosphere high above ground and pose no serious threat.