A research team calculated the number of asteroids that may be a potential threat to Earth. Furthermore, researchers created a list of countries that would suffer the greatest damage in the case of an asteroid impact.

A team of scientists at the University of Southampton conducted a sample study on asteroids in our solar system using the space telescope WISE. What they found was quite a gloomy scenario to consider.

What the estimates revealed

The researchers observed 600 asteroids belonging to the group of space objects known as NEO (Near Earth Objects), i.e. objects moving near Earth. 107 of these had a diameter of over 100 meters. If asteroids of this size fall to Earth, even into the sea, their impact can cause incalculable damage.

The researchers estimated that there might be approximately 4700 NEOs that are likely to fall to Earth one day. About 10% of those 4700 objects have a diameter of 100 meters or more, according to calculations. So far, the researchers have identified and tracked about a thousand objects with a diameter greater than 100 meters.

The researchers also studied the impact of the fall of a large asteroid on the planet. They even created a list of ten countries of the world which, as estimated, will suffer the greatest damage from a possible asteroid impact.

The list of countries that would suffer the most from an asteroid impact

This list contains areas that will be struck by the huge tsunami created in case the asteroid falls into the sea. The list includes:

  1. China,
  2. Indonesia,
  3. India,
  4. Japan,
  5. The USA,
  6. Philippines,
  7. Italy,
  8. The United Kingdom,
  9. Brazil,
  10. Nigeria.

A question that arises after reading these unsettling findings is, what could we do to protect our planet in the case of a massive asteroid impact? Watch the video below to learn more about protecting Earth from asteroid impacts:


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