Thursday, August 14, 2014

Gravity Anomaly May Protect Earth From Asteroids

Asteroid 1950 DA. Image: NASAAsteroid 1950 DA. Image: NASA
Researchers at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville have made a novel discovery that may potentially protect the world from future collisions with asteroids.

The team studied near-Earth asteroid 1950 DA and discovered that the body, which rotates so quickly it defies gravity, is held together by cohesive forces, called van der Waals, never before detected on an asteroid

“Following the February 2013 asteroid impact in Chelyabinsk, Russia, there is renewed interest in figuring out how to deal with the potential hazard of an asteroid impact,” said Ben Rozitis, a postdoctoral researcher in the University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. “Understanding what holds these asteroids together can inform strategies to guard against future impacts.”

More - Link >>> http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2014/08/gravity-find-may-protect-earth-asteroids?et_cid=4099217&et_rid=544605860&type=image

Sources: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, LaboratoryEquipment.com .

Related Blog Post ---

Laser Satellite to Defend Earth from Asteroid Impacts?  (2014 Jan. 11):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/01/laser-satellite-to-defend-earth-from.html


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