00:00Are nuclear weapons the best way to protect the moon and maybe even the earth from a devastating collision with an asteroid?
00:21It's not a Hollywood movie, it's an actual proposal and a study submitted for peer review by scientists, including some from NASA.
00:28They say it may be needed to protect astronauts at the International Space Station from debris in the aftermath of a potential impact with the moon.
00:38The asteroid has a 4% chance of hitting the moon and a 0.00081% chance of striking Earth.
00:46Still, researchers argue nuking the asteroid is the best option given the relatively short time frame and the unknowns, including the asteroid's composition and size.
00:56Scientists estimate it could be up to 2 billion pounds.
01:00A redirection mission conducted by NASA that could change the course of an asteroid would be out of the question given its potential size.
01:08Instead, scientists propose launching two devices strapped with nuclear bombs to intercept and blow up the asteroid before it gets near the moon and Earth in 2032.
01:18The proposed launch would take place between 2029 and 2031.
01:23The bombs are reportedly up to eight times more powerful than those dropped by the U.S. on Japan in World War II.
01:30But much remains uncertain, and it's unknown if the U.S. would dedicate funding to a mission given the minimal chance the asteroid hits the moon or Earth.
01:38This particular asteroid made Straight Arrow News headlines as a chance of its striking Earth grew to the highest on record before once again falling to a tiny fraction of a percent now.
01:50For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com.
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