Three massive asteroids, each capable of wiping out an entire city, could be on a potential collision course with Earth in the coming weeks, according to a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
The space rocks—named 2020 SB, 524522, and 2002 CL1—are currently locked in Venus’s orbit but remain hidden from Earth-based telescopes due to their position near the Sun. This “solar glare” makes them extremely difficult to detect until it`s almost too late, researchers warn.
Led by Valerio Carruba of São Paulo State University in Brazil, the international team of scientists explains that while the asteroids do not currently pose a direct threat to Venus, even a slight gravitational nudge could alter their orbits, potentially sending them toward Earth.
If one of these so-called “city-killers” were to strike, the resulting impact could create a crater over 3 kilometers wide and unleash energy a million times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
“These co-orbital asteroids are safe from close encounters with Venus, but not necessarily with Earth,” the researchers noted. Their location in the Sun’s blind spot makes them especially dangerous, allowing very little reaction time for any planetary defense measures.
Currently, Earth’s best hope for detecting such threats lies with the Rubin Observatory in Chile, which might provide only two to four weeks’ notice before a potential impact. The study urges the development of a dedicated space-based mission closer to Venus to improve early detection of these hidden, high-risk asteroids.
