According to a recent study, Mars is at risk of encountering more than twice as many potentially hazardous asteroids as Earth. This raises concerns for future exploratory missions to the Red Planet, but could also provide valuable insights into the formation of our inner solar system. Asteroids pose a significant threat to our planet.
Take the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor, for example, which injured over 1,000 people and caused over $33 million in damage. Fortunately, astronomers and citizen scientists have detected around 33,000 asteroids that can get close to our planet. Researchers used computer models to simulate the movement of planets and asteroids over 100 million years, focusing on the main belt and six known gaps.
They identified about 10,000 asteroids that could potentially slip into these gaps… which would increase the risk of close encounters with Mars. The study took into account the Yarkovsky effect, a force caused by the sun’s radiation that can influence an asteroid’s path. By simulating this effect, the researchers found that these near-gap asteroids can drift into the gaps and potentially collide with the inner planets, “including Mars.” The findings are a sobering reminder of the importance of planetary defense programs.
Detecting and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids, “like CAPHAs.”.. is crucial for ensuring the safety of our planet and its exploratory missions.
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Mars Is More Prone To Devastating Asteroid Impacts Than We Thought, New Study Hints
• **Mars may face more asteroid threats**: A new study suggests that Mars may face more than twice as many close encounters with potentially dangerous asteroids as Earth does, which could pose a threat to future exploratory missions to the Red Planet. 2. **Larger asteroids pose a bigger threat**: A fraction of the detected asteroids are huge, with diameters over 460 feet (140 meters), and can approach Earth’s orbit at distances of less than 0. 05 astronomical units (AU). These larger asteroids pose a bigger threat due to their size and potential impact. 3. **Yarkovsky effect affects asteroid paths**: The Yarkovsky effect, a force generated by sun’s radiation, can influence an asteroid’s path, causing it to drift towards or away from the sun. This effect is critical in simulations as it can cause asteroids to meander into gaps, increasing the risk of close encounters with the inner planets. 4. **Tracking asteroids is crucial for planetary defense**: Detecting and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) is a key component of planetary defense programs. The study highlights the importance of identifying and monitoring asteroids that could potentially impact the inner planets, including Mars, to ensure the safety of future missions and Earth itself.
Mars may face more than twice as many close encounters with potentially dangerous asteroids as Earth does, according to a new study. This could imperil exploratory missions to the Red Planet, but also provide insight into how the inner solar system formed.
Asteroids constitute the biggest threat from space to our planet ⁘ the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor , for example, generated shock waves that injured over 1,000 people and caused more than $33 million in damage to infrastructure.
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