Asteroids and Earth: What Could Happen by 2030?
Could an asteroid really collide with Earth? Astronomers say yes — theoretically and physically, it is possible. But that does not mean that a major asteroid impact is expected to happen by 2030. The difference between a mathematical possibility and a confirmed danger is extremely important when discussing near-Earth objects. Every day, Earth travels through a Solar System filled with dust, fragments of rock, artificial debris, comets and asteroids. Most of this material is tiny and harmless. Some particles enter the atmosphere and produce shooting stars, while larger objects can survive as meteorites. Much larger asteroids can pass near Earth without hitting it. Modern astronomy is designed to distinguish between these situations. Scientists continuously observe near-Earth asteroids, calculate their orbits and update impact probabilities when new observations become available. Can an Asteroid Hit Earth by 2030? The short answer is that an impact is physically possible, but there is n...