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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

asteroid impact, deflection, numerical simulation, atmosphere, meteorites

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

Small objects from outer space collide with the earth’s atmosphere every day. Most of these are small enough to burn up completely before hitting the ground. A few, however, reach the earth’s surface as meteorites. On occasion, an asteroid large enough to cause serious darnage impacts the earth. Although impacts large enough to destroy cities only occur once in a thousand years or so, if such an event were to occur there would be great loss of life and damage of property (Rather 1992). Because of this, it is important to develop plans to deter an asteroid on a colllslon course with earth, should one be discovered. If an asteroid is discovered only a short time before Impact, it would be a great benefit if we already knew some things about the dynamics of deflecting asteroids, I have developed a computer code that simulates the deflection of an asteroid one month before Impact. I have found that the direction of deflection Is very important, and that the energy needed to deflect most asteroids between 100 and 500 meters in diameter is small enough that It would be possible, with our present technology, to prevent such an asteroid from impacting.

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