The asteroid 2024 YR4, which could collide with the Moon in seven years, could potentially be destroyed by a nuclear strike, according to an international team of scientists that includes experts from NASA. Their new paper has been published on the arXiv preprint server.
A 60-meter asteroid discovered in 2024, whose collision with the Earth was ruled out, with a 4% probability may collide with the Moon in December 2032.
“We are considering options for deflecting the asteroid’s trajectory and actively destroying its orbit,” the report says.
The first scenario is the correction of the orbit by minimally shifting the trajectory, which requires accurate knowledge of the object’s mass, which has so far been estimated only approximately. An error in calculations can send an asteroid towards Earth, the arXiv said.
The second, radical scenario is the destruction of an object using a kinetic impact or a one—megaton nuclear explosion. As the scientists explained, the charge can be detonated at a safe altitude, which eliminates the risk to people and guarantees the destruction of the asteroid into safe fragments.
Scientists suggest waiting for the asteroid to approach in 2028 to clarify its parameters, and then choose a method of impact — correction of the orbit or destruction.