NASA recently shared insights from its latest Planetary Defense Tabletop Exercise, revealing that an undetected asteroid could potentially have a 72% chance of hitting Earth. This exercise conducted biennially, is designed to test the preparedness and response strategies for potential asteroid or comet threats.
NASA released a summary on June 20. The exercise simulated various asteroid impact scenarios. It was a collaboration between NASA, FEMA, and the U.S. Department of State. The goal was to assess risks and response measures.
NASA emphasized that there are currently no known threats of significant asteroid impacts. However, these hypothetical exercises are essential for understanding how to deal with potential future threats. During the recent exercise, a scenario was presented where a newly discovered asteroid had a 72% chance of hitting Earth in about 14 years. Despite the preliminary data, the exercise couldn’t precisely determine the asteroid’s size, composition, or long-term path.
In other space news, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has identified several asteroids passing close to Earth this month. On June 25, Asteroid 2024 LO5, measuring 62 feet, will pass by at a distance of 1,960,000 kilometers. The same day, Asteroid 2024 KJ, 77 feet in size, will approach Earth at 5,260,000 kilometers. On June 27, the 64-feet Asteroid 2019 NJ will pass at 6,610,000 kilometers, followed by the massive 7,200 feet Asteroid 415029 (2011 UL21) at a distance of 6,640,000 kilometers.
While these asteroids pose no immediate threat, NASA’s continuous monitoring and exercises like the Planetary Defense Tabletop are crucial in safeguarding our planet from future potential impacts.
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