A NASA orbiter has observed that there are only about 20,500 near-Earth asteroids larger than 100 meters, according data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft, which surveyed the skies with an infrared camera. WISE only spotted a few hundred nearby asteroids, but that was enough to project how many are out there. However, astronomers estimate that they have identified only a quarter of near-Earth asteroids 100 meters and up.
Monday, October 10, 2011
What a Relief!
NASA Sees Fewer Big Asteroids Endangering Earth
Once upon a time I read where scientists has estimated that a humans chance of being killed by an asteroid strike was approximately 1 in 30,000, greater than relatively common place tragedies such as airline accidents. It's not that the strikes are so frequent, it's that the damage is so great. Maybe this discovery will reduce that to 1 in 60,000. I know I'll sleep better tonight.
Once upon a time I read where scientists has estimated that a humans chance of being killed by an asteroid strike was approximately 1 in 30,000, greater than relatively common place tragedies such as airline accidents. It's not that the strikes are so frequent, it's that the damage is so great. Maybe this discovery will reduce that to 1 in 60,000. I know I'll sleep better tonight.
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