A nuclear blast could save Earth from an asteroid, but there's a catch
A nuclear explosion might save Earth from a deadly asteroid, but new research suggests that hitting the wrong side could make the difference between success and disaster. Scientists found that an asteroid's irregular shape can dramatically affect how it responds to an X-ray blast, with deflection effectiveness varying nearly fivefold depending on the angle.
Published on The Global News Feed
Illustrative image. PIA21259 - Celestial Object 2016 WF9, a NEOWISE Discovery (Artist Concept) Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech · Licence: Public Domain Mark 1.0 · Source
A nuclear explosion might save Earth from a deadly asteroid, but new research suggests that hitting the wrong side could make the difference between success and disaster. Scientists found that an asteroid's irregular shape can dramatically affect how it responds to an X-ray blast, with deflection effectiveness varying nearly fivefold depending on the angle.