‘Don’t have time’…Dire warning on ‘city-killer’ asteroid hurtling towards Earth as expert casts doubt on deflecting rock

SCIENTISTS bash not person clip to deflect the asteroid a size of a shot transportation that is hurtling towards Earth, an adept has warned.

It comes arsenic the likelihood of the Earth-threatening abstraction stone dubbed 2024 YR4 colliding with our satellite person shortened to a 1-in-43 chance.

Scientists say the tremendous rock is betwixt 40 and 100 metres wide and would hitch retired humanity if it hits.

The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, has been rated arsenic the highest hazard ever recorded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Projections amusement its way could transverse implicit with Earth's orbit astir Christmas clip successful 2032 - specifically 5:25 americium connected Wednesday, December 22.

With rising concerns astir the chances of impact, researchers person suggested various deflection methods including star lasers, atomic bomba and kinetic impactors.

The second is wherever scientists motorboat a spacecraft into an asteroid to sound it disconnected its orbit.

This is the astir apt disposable enactment but scientists person already tally retired of time, Dr Andrews claims.

He said connected X: "I've often [been] told you request 10 years oregon much to build, program and execute an asteroid deflection mission.

"Now let's look astatine 2024 YR4. We person little than 8 years to perchance woody with it, if needed.

"I'm not saying a kinetic impactor mission, oregon missions, couldn't work.

"But we don't person overmuch time, and we don't person capable info astir this rapidly fading asteroid to decently pass our planetary defence decisions yet."

Even if we did person time, helium noted that the kinetic impactor method whitethorn not work.

In fact, helium warned that the method utilized 2 years agone successful NASA's DART ngo could beryllium similar "turning a cannonball into a shotgun spray," expanding devastation connected Earth.

He explained: "I'm seeing a batch of radical assertion that, if it is going to interaction Earth successful 2032, we tin usage a DART-like spacecraft to ram it retired of the way.

"Well, not necessarily. The DART ngo was fab, but mightiness not beryllium capable to halt 2024 YR4."

In 2022, Nasa's DART spacecraft was deliberately driven into the broadside of Dimorphos - a tiny asteroid "moonlet".

The ngo was chiefly to trial Nasa's satellite defence systems, and was deemed a large success.

Speaking connected the mission, Dr Andrews said: "As DART smashed into the asteroid, tons of debris flew backmost disconnected the asteroid, acting similar a rocket pitchy and giving it much of a push."

But helium warned that it does not beryllium the method tin beryllium utilized for each kinds of asteroid deflection.

He said: "Asteroids similar Dimorphos, and smaller, thin to beryllium rubble piles: not coagulated azygous rocks, but boulders weakly bound by their ain gravity.

"Hitting them conscionable close tin nutrient that debris-like thrust effect, but if you deed them excessively hard, you'll shatter them.

"Nobody wants to accidentally 'disrupt' an asteroid, due to the fact that those components tin inactive caput for Earth... it's similar turning a cannonball into a shotgun spray."

Astronomer Dr David Whitehouse archetypal noted the chances of a disastrous collision expanding arsenic helium said the asteroid is "unacceptable to ignore".

The European Union-funded NEO Shield consortium which aims to analyse the champion methods of stopping a clash presented immoderate of its ideas including a atomic weaponry which would beryllium a past resort.

An interaction would unleash energy hundreds of times greater than that of the Hiroshima weaponry with a blinding flash arsenic daze waves that would flatten thing for miles.

One adept called it a imaginable 'city-killer' telling CBS that "if you enactment it over Paris or London oregon New York, you fundamentally hitch retired the full metropolis and immoderate of the environs."

A clever planetary squad of astronomers person present been granted usage of the iconic James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) truthful they tin find however overmuch harm the asteroid whitethorn cause.

Astronomers are acceptable to usage the JWST successful March to measurement the nonstop size of 2024 YR4 and marque immoderate last calculations astir its orbit.

The JWST, utilized by some the ESA and NASA, volition instrumentality images of 2024 YR4 from its presumption a cardinal miles distant from Earth.

A 2nd circular of observations volition besides instrumentality spot successful May to find however it has moved wrong a fewer months.

At the moment, scientists judge the asteroid could beryllium up to 300ft wide - the aforesaid size as New York's Statue of Liberty or London's Big Ben.