Earth at Risk from ‘Invisible’ Asteroids: Scientists Warn of Long-Term Threat

Kokcha News Agency: Astronomers have raised concerns about the potential threat posed by hundreds of asteroids that share Venus’s orbit around the Sun. These asteroids, which are difficult to detect due to their proximity to the Sun, could pose a significant long-term risk to Earth, according to a new study.

Valerio Carruba, an astronomer at São Paulo State University, explained that their research has revealed a population of potentially hazardous asteroids that are invisible to current observation tools. Unlike the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, these objects orbit in resonance with Venus and the Sun, making them nearly impossible to observe directly.

The challenge lies in their location: to observe these asteroids, telescopes must look toward the Sun, where the brightness overwhelms the faint light reflected by the asteroids, rendering them “invisible.”

Chaotic and Unpredictable Orbits:
So far, 20 Venus co-orbital asteroids have been identified. These asteroids do not orbit Venus directly but instead move in sync with the planet around the Sun, sometimes leading, trailing, or crossing Venus’s orbit in complex patterns.

Their orbits are highly chaotic, changing shape every 12,000 years on average and can only be reliably predicted up to 150 years into the future. During these transitions, an asteroid could leave Venus’s orbit and approach Earth, potentially even crossing our planet’s orbit.

Carruba emphasized that an asteroid about 300 meters in diameter could create a crater 3 to 4.5 kilometers wide and release hundreds of megatons of energy, causing devastating effects in a major city.

Rubin Observatory May Not Be Enough:
The Venus co-orbital asteroids detected so far share a common feature: they have an orbital eccentricity greater than 0.38, allowing them to move away from Venus and approach Earth. This makes them visible in the sky during sunset.

However, researchers have identified that asteroids with lower eccentricity could also pose a threat to Earth. Unfortunately, the Vera Rubin Observatory may only be able to detect these objects during specific times of the year and within limited windows.

Solution: A Venus Orbiting Observatory:
Experts suggest that the most effective way to overcome this “blind spot” is to place a space observatory in Venus’s orbit or one that shares its orbit. Additionally, NASA’s upcoming NEO Surveyor mission is designed to scan this risky area of the inner Solar System.

The research was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.