04-26-2021, 05:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-26-2021, 06:31 PM by HereOnThePrimalEdge.)
This week the 2021 IAA Planetary Defense Conference takes places virtually from Vienna. Telescopes on Mauna Kea and Haleakala are part of the international system of observatories which track potentially dangerous asteroids headed toward Earth.
https://iaaspace.org/event/7th-iaa-plane...ence-2021/
Part of the meeting includes:
The 2021 PDC Hypothetical Asteroid Impact Scenario
Although this scenario is realistic in many ways, it is completely fictional and does NOT describe an actual potential asteroid impact.
(Hypothetical) Asteroid 2021 PDC will remain continuously observable over the entire time from now until the potential impact in October, although it will be fainter than 23rd magnitude from June through September, requiring large-aperture telescopes such as the 4-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The asteroid will not get brighter than 22nd magnitude until just a few weeks before the potential impact in October.
https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/pd/cs/pdc21/
At the link, scroll down to the image which shows potential impact areas on Earth. Due to so many variables there are hundreds of red dots scattered across the globe. With a larger telescope such as the TMT the asteroid might be discovered sooner, it's orbit calculated weeks or months earlier, likely impact areas better identified, and more effective mitigation plans set into motion sooner.
https://iaaspace.org/event/7th-iaa-plane...ence-2021/
Part of the meeting includes:
The 2021 PDC Hypothetical Asteroid Impact Scenario
Although this scenario is realistic in many ways, it is completely fictional and does NOT describe an actual potential asteroid impact.
(Hypothetical) Asteroid 2021 PDC will remain continuously observable over the entire time from now until the potential impact in October, although it will be fainter than 23rd magnitude from June through September, requiring large-aperture telescopes such as the 4-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The asteroid will not get brighter than 22nd magnitude until just a few weeks before the potential impact in October.
https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/pd/cs/pdc21/
At the link, scroll down to the image which shows potential impact areas on Earth. Due to so many variables there are hundreds of red dots scattered across the globe. With a larger telescope such as the TMT the asteroid might be discovered sooner, it's orbit calculated weeks or months earlier, likely impact areas better identified, and more effective mitigation plans set into motion sooner.