Earth impact events triple in number per NASA figures

According to figures compiled by the US space agency, the rates of impact by space rocks is increasing – meaning there is an increased chance of a devastating strike.

This a sharp upturn from the number of asteroids hitting the planet when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Experts believe at least three times as many rocks hit Earth today, although most are incredibly small.

“It is a bit like a rising tide; you have a lot of material coming out of the asteroid belt at one point.”

However, Dr Gernon said it is unlikely mankind is going to wiped out by a devastating strike any time soon.

“There is no need for people to worry about this increased flux,” he added.

“We are saying large asteroid impacts – more than 1 km across – went from one every 3-5 million years prior to 90 million years ago, to roughly 1-2 every million years.”

NASA doomsday asteroid strike warning as Earth impact events TRIPLE in number

That is a big increase if true. You would think this means the chance of an extinction event by a large asteroid has tripled.

It has happened before and will happen again. The odds of that are 100 percent and the Earth is overdue for a large asteroid impact according to NASA.

Earth is overdue for collision with 'dinosaur-killer' asteroid, Nasa warns

Planet Earth is effectively defenceless in the face of a “dinosaur-killer” asteroid strike, a Nasa scientist has warned. And the planet is overdue for an extinction-level event involving a giant space object – such as an asteroid or comet – following a number of close encounters over the last 20 years, Dr Joseph Nuth said.

Large objects from outer space that could cause mass extinctions have tended to hit Earth about 50 to 60 million years apart. The dinosaurs were wiped out 66 million years ago by an asteroid that struck what is now the Gulf of Mexico.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Well, the Bible does say that a large rock the size of a mountain or mountain top will hit the earth during the end times. The end times isn't here yet. I believe it will be awhile before that happens. No extinction events any time soon.

a reply to: Mystery_Lady

The bible says a lot of things. So does Green eggs and ham.

Earth will get hit by a large meteor sooner or later, regardless of what any book says.

Planet Earth is effectively defenceless in the face of a “dinosaur-killer” asteroid strike, a Nasa scientist has warned.

Fortunately there are no dinosaurs on Earth, so it's a non-issue I guess.

Given enough notice, we have the tech to deflect one, but taking a nuke through our atmosphere will not be an easy task, let alone an easy sell.

Probably the largest threat, is if one approaches from the direction of the Sun. This is our weakest detection direction, and one could be on us before we could muster a response. Kind of scary, that.

Additionally, NASA is not acknowledging the comet impactor of the YD. This would be big enough to qualify as a "dino" event, but if it had happened today it would not only kill more than half of the population, but would take down our communications and power grids perhaps forever.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

We have a solar system in ours which is getting closer and as it does causes earthquakes,volcanic eruptions and storms and disease,just like what happened before,things just get worse till earth destroyed,this is taking place now should happen within 5 years,think Hitch hikers guide to galaxy

The Sun wobbles around its normal center of gravity due to the pull of the planets. The Sun, hence the entire solar system, orbits Sirius. The entire entourage is orbiting the center of the Milky Way.... It is no wonder that we would experience
varying intensities of meteors as we occasionally get to sample other comet and asteroid orbits.

This is also why the NEO catalog will always be a work in progress.

I have often wondered if we are Evolution's answer to the the Asteroid impact question...

An asteroid hits and the etch-a-sketch is shaken, life starts all over again. As far as we know since the Dinosaurs and plausibly even before them we are the only species capable of deterring an impact or space travel colonization thus ensuring life in our solar system and beyond.

That is if we can stop being so stupidly xenophobic and warlike, but that is one reason we have that technology...

Tripled since 90 million years ago?

What about odds of global nuclear holocaust? I'd say that increases exponentially with every year.

But only since like 1945

I've been watching the asteroid 99942 Apophis since 2011. It should reach us by 2029. I don't see it hitting Earth but via the "gravitational keyhole effect" it may hit the moon. I think that would be enough to shake things up here anyway and cause a massive reboot on mankind.

I have noticed that since that time, the space race has gone into over drive with most posting deadlines that they will be finished by 2024-2025 like Elon Musk and the Mars One project. Personally, I think we need to push living underground, above ground, and on a space stations. Then we need to slow down and promote selective breeding. I think that too has started with the push of everyone getting their dna tested (documented)..lol. Its like Gattaca + Star Trek + Zombie movie = God dang what a future.