Asteroid danger: Neil deGrasse Tyson warns of ‘harbinger of doom’ space rock threat

Asteroids and meteors of all shapes and sizes fly past the Earth on a nearly daily basis. Space agency NASA estimates hundreds of tonnes of space debris and rocks safely pelt the planet’s atmosphere every single day. Larger, car-sized asteroids, are said to strike the Earth roughly once a year, causing small amounts of localised damage. The real threat comes from asteroids many miles wide, which astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said could spell an end for humanity. 

Dr Tyson, 60, is the head of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and host of the StarTalk science podcast.

In a recent episode of the popular podcast, titled Cosmic Queries – Asteroids and Comets, the astrophysicist discussed the threat of giant asteroids headed for Earth. 

The episode also explored the possibility asteroid strikes billions of years ago brought to a young Earth the building blocks of life. 

The podcast was published on July 25 and featured a guest appearance from science author and cosmochemist Natalie Starkey. 

Dr Tyson said: “It is an intriguing and under-appreciated fact that asteroids and comets may have been the bringers of life, if not the ingredients of life, but perhaps even life itself. 

READ MORE: How often do asteroids hit Earth? What is the risk?

“And yet, they can also serve as harbingers of doom for the very life that they brought to the planet.” 

When a monstrous asteroid struck the Earth in modern-day Mexico 65 million years ago, the force of impact ended the dinosaurs’ rule over our planet. 

The so-called Chicxulub asteroid hit during the Cretaceous-Tertiary period in what is today the Yucatan Peninsula in western Mexico. 

The asteroid left behind a 111-mile-wide (180km) and 12-mile-deep (20km) crater. 

READ MORE: Watch major asteroid DESTROY Earth in fiery crash simulation

The killer impact is believed to have triggered a global nuclear winter that wiped out the dinosaurs. 

Dr Starkey, who answered questions from the StarTalk audience, warned future impacts on this scale could end humanity as we know it. 

She said: “We may have only got here because of comets and asteroids and actually, in the future, we may die off because of comets and asteroids. 

“They could collide with us and, you know, devastate all of humanity. 

READ MORE: A 2,700 MEGATON asteroid has a slight chance of hitting Earth this October

“So, I want to understand these objects for many reasons, because of how we got here, but also to protect us in the future. 

“We need to understand what these things are made of, and what their orbits are, and understanding so many details that we can protect the planet. 

“I think everyone should be concerned about it but not worried. I don’t think we need to be worried that tomorrow we’re all going to die in an asteroid impact, although it could happen.” 

According to NASA, an asteroid large enough to threaten human civilisation only appears “once every few million years”. 

Currently, there are no known asteroids or comets headed directly for Earth. 

source: express.co.uk