Ifunyenwe kutshanje, kodwa sele ibangele umothuko: i-asteroid 2023DW iya kuza ngokuyingozi kufutshane noMhlaba malunga namashumi amabini eminyaka. Kangangokuba eli litye, ubungakanani bechibi lokuqubha leOlimpiki, linethuba elinye kuma-600 lokungqubana ngqo neplanethi yethu, i-NASA ityhile.
Le nto kuphela kuluhlu lomngcipheko lwe-arhente yase-US efumana umlinganiselo we-1 kwisikali saseTurin, i-metric yokuhlela umngcipheko wento echaphazela uMhlaba. Onke amanye amaqumrhu, okwangoku, anomlinganiselo ongu-0 kwisikali. Kodwa ngelixa inqanaba eliphezulu kune-avareji yomngcipheko we-asteroids ekufutshane ne-Earth, i-NASA ilumkisa ukuba "lithuba elincinci kakhulu" lempembelelo. Ngaphaya koko, silindele ukuba eli nqanaba lomngcipheko linciphe njengoko kukho ukuqwalaselwa ngakumbi kwe-asteroid.
Ifunyenwe okokuqala ngoFebruwari 27, i-asteroid ebizwa ngokuba yi-2023 DW, elinganisa malunga neemitha ezingama-50 ububanzi, kuqikelelwa ukuba isondele kakhulu kuMhlaba ngoFebruwari 14, 2046; Ukusukela nge-8 kaMatshi, iZiko lokuLungelelanisa i-Earth Space Agency ye-Earth-Earth Object Coordination Centre liqikelele nge-1 kwi-625 ithuba lokubetha ngokuthe ngqo, nangona kunjalo ezi zinto zinokwenzeka zibalwa kwakhona imihla ngemihla.
Rhoqo xa izinto ezintsha zigutyungelwa okokuqala, iiveki ezininzi zedatha ziyafuneka ukunciphisa ukungaqiniseki kunye nokulandelela ngokufanelekileyo iindlela zabo kwixa elizayo, utshilo iNASA. "Abahlalutyi be-Orbitar baya kuqhubeka nokubeka iliso kwi-asteroid 2023 DW kunye nokuhlaziya izibikezelo njengoko idatha eninzi ingena."
Kodwa kuthekani ukuba kuyenzeka?
Noko ke, ukuba ezona ziprofeto zimbi zaziza kwenzeka, yintoni eyayiza kwenzeka? Impembelelo ethe ngqo evela kwilitye elilingana nobukhulu ayinakuba yintlekele njenge asteroid eyabulala iidinosaur kwiminyaka yezigidi ezingama-66 eyadlulayo, eyayimalunga neekhilomitha ezili-12 ubude. Nangona kunjalo, i-2023 DW isenokubangela umonakalo omkhulu ukuba ifike kufutshane nesixeko esikhulu okanye indawo enabantu abaninzi. Ngokomzekelo, i-meteorite isiqingatha sobukhulu be-2023 DW yaqhuma e-Chelyabinsk, eRashiya, ngo-2013, ivelisa i-wave shock eyonakalisa iikhilomitha zezakhiwo kwaye yabetha abantu abayi-1500, kunye nokubangela umonakalo omkhulu kwiikhilomitha zezakhiwo.
Nangona impembelelo ngo-2023 DW inqabile kakhulu, uluntu aluhlali lungenzi nto. Kwiveki ephelileyo, izazinzulu zeNASA zipapashe izifundo ezintlanu eziqinisekisa ukuba i-DART mission iguqule ngempumelelo umkhondo we-asteroid encinci emva kokuntlitheka kwesiphekepheke ngqo kuyo. Imisebenzi yokulandela ngoku iyasebenza ukucokisa ngakumbi ukusebenza kolu khuselo lweplanethi.
