The Asteroid Conundrum: A Threat from the Cosmos Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid ended the age of the dinosaurs, a catastrophic event that has captivated human imagination ever since. The question on everyone's mind is: could something as devastating happen again? According to BBC Learning English, asteroids are fragments of rock left over from the creation of the solar system 4. 6 billion years ago.
These ancient space rocks frequently orbit close to Earth, their trajectories influenced by the gravity of other planets. It wasn't until the late 1990s that scientists were able to systematically track near-Earth objects, revealing a startling reality: asteroids larger than 40 meters in diameter, capable of destroying a city, cross Earth's path within lunar distance several times a year.
Despite this, Dr. Massey emphasizes that continuing to research the likelihood of asteroid impacts is crucial. This ongoing effort allows scientists to better understand the risks and, more importantly, to develop strategies for mitigating them. The key takeaway, however, is that the chances of being hit by an asteroid are extremely low.
Asteroids are more common than one might think, but the likelihood of a catastrophic impact on an individual is infinitesimally small.
1 An asteroid ended the age of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Could something as catastrophic as that happen again?Looking to read more like this: Visit website
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