Space & Astronomy

A nuclear blast could be used to redirect a killer asteroid, study finds

By T.K. Randall
September 28, 2024 ·  5 comments

Could a nuke save the world ? Image Credit: Bing AI / Dall-E 3 When it comes to using nuclear bombs to deal with an approaching apocalyptic asteroid, most people will likely think of the Bruce Willis movie Armageddon in which oil rig workers drill a hole into an asteroid and then detonate a nuke inside it to prevent it from striking the Earth.

In reality, doing this - or even just firing a nuke at an asteroid's surface - is highly unlikely to work because it would create an enormous debris cloud that would rain even more devastation upon us.

This doesn't mean that nuclear weapons couldn't be used to solve the problem, however.

In a recent experiment, physicists at Sandia National Laboratories tested to see if it was possible to direct the mega pulse of radiation from a nuclear explosion at an incoming asteroid.They determined that if this could be done just right, part of the surface of the space rock would be effectively vaporized by the extreme heat, nudging the asteroid off course.

Whether this could actually be achieved in practice on a real asteroid, however, remains to be seen.

"Asteroid impacts are among the many natural hazards facing civilization," the scientists wrote.

"Although most asteroids bypass the Earth or cause little damage, the largest collisions have led to regional devastation and even the elimination of habitable climates."

"Although rare, the elimination of devastating impacts has become a national priority."

Source: Metro.co.uk | Comments (5)

Tags: Nuclear, Asteroid