January 1 - Scores of GIANT asteroids on course to hurtle past Earth within the month, NASA reveals

Article: Misc.

SCORES of giant asteroids are on course to hurtle close to Earth before the end of February, according to latest NASA space data. Some are more than 1km wide and threaten devastating consequences if they were to strike our planet. Of almost 70 asteroids on the radar most are around 100 metres wide, the size of a double decker bus, and would be capable of causing significant damage. Experts warn if one of these monsters, some of which travel at up to 70,000 miles an hour, were to hit Earth it could �alter life as we know it�.

Bill Napier, professor of astronomy at the University of Buckinghamshire, said: �If you are talking about a real major impact you are looking at one every few centuries, these are the real show stoppers and in history have sometimes been described as fire from the heavens. However the smaller collisions happen more frequently, asteroids of 2km (1.2 miles) can cause a global catastrophe which would exterminate around two thirds of the human race, mainly due to the heat produced. There is also the hazard brought by comets, and these occur on much shorter timescales. It the Earth passes through the tail of a comet it will generate a massive plume of smoke, and this could be a civilization-stopper.�

The warnings come after scientists from around the world converged at the end of last year to raise the alarm that there are around one million undetected asteroids currently flying through space.

Launching Asteroid Day, designated the 30th of June, co-founder of the initiative Grigorij Richters said: �There are thousands of asteroids that we know nothing about, we take this threat very seriously. It just takes one asteroid to completely destroy life, not just humanity, but all species.

Scientists reckon of all the asteroids blasting through space and capable of wiping out our planet they are aware of just one per cent of them.

NASA said it is aware of 1,552 �potentially hazardous� asteroids (PHAs) in outer space which show an orbit dangerously close to swiping Earth.