ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Could nuclear explosions help protect Earth from destructive asteroids? That is what physicist Nathan Moore and a team of scientists are researching at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.
“To most people, the danger from asteroids seems remote,” Moore said in a news release. “But our planet is hit by BB-sized asteroids every day. We call them shooting stars. We don’t want to wait for a large asteroid to show up and then scramble for the right method to deflect it.”
What would happen if a meteorite hit New Mexico?
Moore and scientists created experiments using Sandia’s Z machine to monitor the deflection of synthetic asteroids subjected to powerful X-ray pulses generated by the machine. They said the goal of the research is to track the reactions of asteroids of varying compositions to deflection attempts, which would help those who respond to asteroid threats in the future.
“The trick is to use just enough force to redirect the flying rock without splitting it into several equally deadly subsections advancing toward Earth,” Moore explained…