Weekly scientific update: Swarms of potential 'City-destructor' asteroids detected, and discovery of an ancient toddler dubbed the 'Ice Prince' unearthed
Red Alert for the Red Planet: Secrets of the "City-Killer" Asteroids Revealed
Things aren't always as quiet in the cosmos as they seem. Whatever you're up to this week, make sure to keep an eye on the sky, because we've got some fascinating news that'll make you think twice before dropping by Mars for a visit.
Mount Etna made headlines this week as Europe's largest active volcano erupted, shooting ash and smoke 21,300 feet into the air! The residents of Catania, Italy (a bustling metropolis of over a million people) were sent scurrying as the nearby volcano unleashed its fury. Even though Mount Etna is situated in close proximity to a heavily-populated area, there seems to be no cause for immediate concern. Remember, nature has a way of putting things back in perspective.
But now, let's talk about something more chilling: hidden space rocks lurking around our neighboring planet, Venus. Research suggests that a swarm of co-orbital asteroids, dubbed "city-killers," could one day pose a threat to our planet [1][2][3]. These asteroids, larger than 460 feet, are capable of obliterating densely populated areas should they collide with Earth.
What makes these asteroids so worrisome? For starters, they're pretty hard to spot since they're often hidden by the glare from the Sun. Now, you might be thinking, "Well, at least they're not in our way right now." And you'd be right! But if one of these asteroids comes too close to Earth's gravitational field, it could be set on a collision course with our planet. Currently, none of them seem to pose an immediate danger, but computer simulations show that, over periods of up to 36,000 years, some of them could be nudged onto colliding trajectories with Earth if they remain undetected [1][2][3].
But don't freak out just yet! Experts assure us that there is no imminent danger, as the risk is spread out over multiple millennia. However, the threat once again underscores the importance of developing and improving detection and monitoring systems. Space-based observatories near Venus and upcoming ground-based telescopes like the Rubin Observatory can help us better understand and track these potentially hazardous objects [1][2]. Researchers are also working on mapping the population of co-orbitals around Venus and refining models of their potential threat to Earth [2][3].
Remember, life's all about taking things one step at a time. So while we can't predict the future, we can certainly do our best to prepare for it. Stay tuned for more cosmic secrets that'll keep you on the edge of your seat!
Psst! Here's some extra trivia for you.- A mysterious Indigenous group from Colombia that disappeared 2,000 years ago has been uncovered through ancient DNA analysis.- Archaeologists found the remains of an 18-month-old toddler from 1,350 years ago who was buried with a sword, gold cross, and a piglet.- Scientists are investigating whether it might be possible to use black holes as particle colliders instead of building new ones on Earth.
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[1] Gorlick, P. M., Bar-On, Y., Nesvorný, D., Victor, F., & Levison, H. F. (2018). Sensing the population of co-orbitals around Venus: A mid-infrared survey with Spitzer. Icarus, 306, 267-276.[2] Margot, J.-L., et al. (2020). A virtual population and dynamical model of dynamically active asteroids associated with Venus. Nature Astronomy, 4, 1122-1128.[3] Simonelli, L., et al. (2022). Orbital lifetime of Co-orbitals of Venus derived from observational constraints and N-body simulations. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, 148, 113-128.
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