Giant Asteroid named 1950 DA Will Collide With Our Planet - Facts

Story:

This is the Monster..

Scientists predict giant asteroid will collide with our planet at 38,000 miles per hour.

Doomsday, it seems, has come and gone countless times.
But one particular prediction for the end of the world has been weighing on the mind of astronomers for more than half a century.
Scientists at Nasa have been watching an asteroid, named 1950 DA, which is currently on a path to collide with Earth on March 16, 2880.

The asteroid, named 1950 DA, is rock two-thirds of a mile in diameter, travelling at about 15 km (nine miles) per second relative to the Earth.
It is due to swing so close to Earth it could slam into the Atlantic Ocean at 38,000 miles per hour.
It is estimated that if 1950 DA were to collide with the planet, it would do so with a force of around 44,800 megatonnes of TNT. Although the probability of an impact is only 0.3 per cent, this represents a risk 50 per cent greater than an impact from all other asteroids.

Picture about Giant Asteroid named 1950 DA Will Collide With Our Planet — Giant Asteroid named 1950 DA Will Collide With Our Planet

Analysis:

The message warns people about the probable collision of a giant asteroid named 1950 DA with Earth on 16 March 2880. Yes, it is a fact. The message is derived from a related article published on mail Online (dailymail.co.uk).

Discovery of Asteroid 1950 DA

Asteroid 1950 DA is a 1.1-kilometer-wide (0.68 mi.) rock that was first discovered in February 1950 and was observed for 17 days, disappearing from view later. The asteroid was spotted again on 31 Dec. 2000, on the eve of 21st century.

Collision with Earth

Radar observations have found that the asteroid 1950 DA has a rather high rotation rate (once in 2.1 hours), in a trajectory that can bring it very close to Earth on 16 March 2880. The research done on 1950 DA by NASA scientists so far revealed that the probability of its impact with Earth is at the most 1 in 300.

Although this 0.3 per cent probability of impact appears low, it represents a 50 per cent greater risk of impact when compared to all other asteroids. However, this probability can increase or decrease as more is learned about the asteroid, the next opportunity for studying the 1950 DA via radar is in 2032.

Extent of Destruction

If the 1.1-kilometer-wide asteroid 1950 DA were to hit Earth, the extent of destruction will depend on various factors like its composition, speed, angle of impact, where it impacts, etc. 1950 DA is certainly a large enough asteroid to have disastrous global consequences should it impact the Earth.

If we consider an energy release upwards of half a million megatons, the force of impact of the asteroid will flatten everything within at least a 100-mile radius on earth. And the resulting air blast, atmospheric dust cloud, secondary impacts from debris, or even damage from any resulting tsunami (if the impact occurs in the ocean), can easily extend the destruction to many hundreds of miles. The repercussions of this impact — physical, financial, economic, and emotional — can extend around the globe.

But if the 1950 DA asteroid were to hit Earth in March 2880, there is still plenty of time to improve our knowledge, and scientists hope that the asteroid can to be diverted. Let’s wish that our planet Earth shall be safe that day. You can read the updates about the asteroid from the NASA website in reference section below.