Asteroids are the small rocky bodies in the inner Solar System orbiting the Sun and their collisions – known as impact events – have played a significant role in shaping many planets. NASA is constantly watching the cosmos, categorising any Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) as Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHO) if they could pose a threat to life on Earth. However, journalist Graham Hancock is concerned by a cluster of more than 200 asteroids said to be hiding with the Taurid’s meteor shower, which Earth passes through twice a year.
He told the Joe Rogan Experience in 2019: “I don’t think preparation has been made and it’s very clear that preparation is not being made for the risk of another cosmic impact.
“A point that I’d like to make about this is that we are, in a sense, in a place where history can repeat itself, there are certain cycles at work.
“The work on the comet impact 12,800 years ago has very clearly and specifically identified the debris trail of that comet and that is the Taurids meteor stream.
“It’s called that because it appears to emanate from the region of the sky in which the constellation of Taurus sits, it doesn’t, it’s in our Solar System but it’s an optical illusion.
More than 200 asteroids could strike Earth (Image: GETTY)
There are millions of asteroids within the inner Solar System (Image: GETTY)
Astronomers regard the Taurids meteor stream as the greatest collision hazard facing mankind
“The Taurids meteor stream is a giant complex of debris, 30 million kilometres wide.”
The Taurids are actually two separate showers, with a Southern and Northern component.
The Southern Taurids originated from Comet Encke, while the Northern Taurids originated from Asteroid 2004 TG10.
Encke and the Taurids are believed to be remnants of a much larger comet, which has disintegrated over the past 20,000 to 30,000 years, breaking into several pieces and releasing material by normal cometary activity or perhaps occasionally by close encounters with the tidal force of Earth or other planets.
Mr Hancock added: “What you had was an original comet that might have been 100 to 200km in diameter, a small moon which fragmented and broke up into multiple parts.
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Graham Hancock is concerned about a one group in particular (Image: YOUTUBE/JRE)
“Those parts began to spread out along the whole orbit of the Taurids meteor stream and the whole thing widens like a giant tube of debris.
“12,800 years ago, several large bits of that debris fell out of the meteor stream and impacted with the Earth.
“The problem is that the Taurids meteor stream still exists and our planet still passes through it twice a year in June and November and takes 12-and-a-half days.
“The same group of scientists who are looking at the evidence of the impact 12,800 years ago, they are deeply concerned that we may face future impacts from the meteor stream.”
Mr Hancock went on to warn what would happen if the asteroids collided with Earth.
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Mr Hancock says an asteroid could strike Earth (Image: GETTY)
Sending a nuke is Mr Hancock’s less favourable option (Image: GETTY)
He continued: “There are still large objects up there, this is not theory, this is a fact, there are 19 recognised huge objects within the stream.
“Calculations indicate that there may be as much as 200 asteroids of a diameter of a kilometre or more which would have a catastrophic effect if they hit the Earth and responsible astronomers regard the Taurids meteor stream as the greatest collision hazard facing mankind.
“It is not something that we need to fall into despair about, because it’s perfectly within the level of our technology to do something about it.”
However, there is no reason to fear, Mr Hancock added.
He explained that space agencies like NASA and ESA are already working on possible solutions.
Mr Hancock continued: “To give you an example, commercial interests are looking right now and the technology is there to mine asteroids, we can go to them if the interest is high enough.
“The same technology would allow you to move asteroids or comet fragments, you don’t want to blow them up with a nuke, that would be a really bad idea.
“That would turn one large object into multiple smaller objects which could cause equally massive devastation and would be very difficult to predict where that devastation was going to fall.
“What you want to do is nudge them, move them out of the dangerous orbit into a less-dangerous orbit.”