NASA Alert! Giant space rock race of 300 meters towards Earth: control distance and speed

Most of the asteroids in our solar system call the main belt between Mars and Jupiter home. But 2022 TN1 is a bit of a cosmic wanderer, with an orbit that doesn’t quite follow the usual patterns. His path takes him on a journey that occasionally brings him uncomfortably close to Earth.

But what if this colossal rock were to collide with our planet? The consequences would be catastrophic. Statistics show that an asteroid of similar size hits Earth about once every 166,000 years, causing widespread destruction.

In the hypothetical scenario where TN1 were to hit Earth in 2022, the results would be chilling. The force of the impact would carve a crater 580 meters deep and 9.7 kilometers wide. The energy released would be equivalent to a staggering 12 gigatons of TNT, vaporizing approximately 690,000 people near the impact site.

But the horror doesn’t end there. The formation of a fireball with a wingspan of 15 kilometers would spell doom for about 13.5 million people, while another nine million would suffer serious burns if the asteroid struck a densely populated area. Trees within a radius of 80 miles would immediately catch fire.

The most devastating aspect of the impact would be the shock wave, which measured a deafening 241 decibels. This force would wipe out 10 million people and collapse all buildings within a 60-mile radius. In addition, a massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake would reverberate across the country, felt from a distance of 150 miles.

Faced with such catastrophic possibilities, scientists are working tirelessly on ways to prevent such a doomsday scenario. NASA is at the forefront of developing innovative technologies to deflect asteroids, including kinetic impactors, gravity tractors, ion beam shepherds and even nuclear explosives.

While the chances of an asteroid impact are slim, events like TN1’s approach in 2022 serve as a stark reminder of the importance of planetary defense efforts to protect our planet from the dangers of space.