Asteroid Day: Campaign to alert world to threat of impacts

Hurtling bodies could wipe out much of Earth’s population if collision occurs

Tuesday marks the first international Asteroid Day, a campaign by a mix of astronomers, celebrities and the general public to alert world leaders to the serious threat posed by asteroids to countries around the globe.

Events are scheduled worldwide to draw attention to the vulnerability of the earth to large asteroids that could wipe out much of the Earth’s population.

“The more we learn about asteroid impacts, the clearer it becomes that the human race has been living on borrowed time,” said Dr Brian May, Queen guitarist and astrophysicist, in a statement issued by backers of the venture.

“A city could be wiped out anytime because we just don’t know enough about what’s out there.”

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Seismic shockwave

The day itself was chosen to commemorate the “Tunguska event”, a meteoroid impact that struck central Russia in 1908 and destroyed an estimated 800 square miles of forest. Such was the intensity of the blast that the resulting seismic shockwave was recorded as far away as England.

“Technically you have a bigger chance of being killed by an asteroid than an air crash,” said David Moore, chairman of Astronomy Ireland.

“Every now and then the universe gives us a wake-up call to be aware that there’s a bigger threat. It doesn’t happen very often - but when it does it’s catastrophic.”

In an echo of Tunguska, a similar asteroid made its way to earth in 2013. Crashing as a meteorite in Chelyabinsk, Russia, the meteor delivered 20 times the amount of energy as the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima.

Ireland, in common with other coastal countries, faces a number of threats. Alongside any impact that might strike the country, we may also be at risk from tsunamis should an asteroid hit the Atlantic. Another risk is Irish buildings being unprepared should an asteroid cause a local earthquake.

In 2012, the European Space Agency (ESA) held a two-day exercise to decide how Europe should react to an asteroid, from up to 30 days to an hour before its impact.

Preventative measures

Another meeting is scheduled for this year, though there is no indication of preventative measures being discussed.

Fortunately, Ireland has had more recent success with asteroids. NUI Maynooth alumnus Laurence O’Rourke plays a central role in the ESA’s Rosetta mission, to a comet. He was also given the honour of having an asteroid named after him (“9524 O’Rourke”) last July.

Ireland was also able to claim the discovery of two asteroids last year, breaking 160 years of no confirmed discoveries made by amateur astronomers here.

“They’re not just shooting along at a couple of hundred kilometres, they’re travelling at 20,000km per hour,” said David McDonald, the discoverer of asteroid 2009 FM14.

“It’s just a phenomenal speed. You almost wouldn’t see it coming.”

It is hoped that events such as Asteroid Day will help convince the world’s governments to take action.

Scientists can calculate the costs involved if we do nothing. “Mathematics can tell you the energy requirements, and the expenses involved are very simple to calculate” says David Moore.

“There has to be a political will - and until we find an asteroid with our name on it, we’re not going to do anything about it.”