NASA Monitors Giant Asteroid on Path That May Hit the US

Buzzline

Scientists from NASA's planetary defense team are observing a sizable potentially dangerous asteroid whose anticipated path crosses a risk zone over the continental United States in the upcoming decades. Measuring several hundred meters across, an impact in the ocean could initiate a mega-tsunami that poses a threat to the eastern coastline. While NASA indicates the likelihood of an impact is low, this object necessitates continuous observation.

Transcript

00:00NASA planetary defense scientists are tracking a large near-Earth asteroid

00:04that, based on current trajectory modeling,

00:07could pose a potential impact risk to Earth within the next several decades.

00:11With the continental United States in the projected impact corridor,

00:16the asteroid, classified as a potentially hazardous object,

00:19measures several hundred meters in diameter.

00:22At that size, an ocean impact would generate a mega-tsunami

00:26capability capable of inundating the entire eastern seaboard.

00:30A direct land impact in a populated area would be an extinction-level event for the region.

00:36NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office stresses that impact probability remains low,

00:41but the asteroid is close enough to Earth's orbit

00:44that it warrants active monitoring and potential deflection planning.

00:49The DART mission proved that humanity can deflect asteroids with enough warning time.

00:53The question is, do we have enough of it?

00:55Congressional testimony last year revealed that NASA is only tracking an estimated 40%

01:02of all near-Earth asteroids larger than 140 meters.

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