Scientist Nuke an Asteroid in a Lab Mock-Up

image via New Scientist

September 24, 2024, 6:30 PM

• •A blast of X-rays from a nuclear explosion could save Earth from an incoming asteroid, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind experiment.
• •The experiment was designed to simulate what might happen if a nuclear bomb was detonated near an asteroid.
• •The team used Sandia’s vast Z machine, which uses magnetic fields to produce high temperatures and powerful X-rays, to fire X-rays at two mock asteroids about the size of coffee beans.

Scientists have conducted a first-of-its-kind experiment to see if a nuclear explosion could be used to deflect an asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth. The results of the experiment showed that a blast of X-rays from a nuclear explosion could indeed be enough to change the trajectory of an asteroid and save the planet from a devastating impact.

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