Venus Hiding Dangerous Asteroids, Including One That Could Be a 'City-Killer' If it Impacts Earth: Study

Experts opportunity Venus is hiding immoderate asteroids that could perchance beryllium deadly should they effect Earth.

Venus presently has astatine slightest 20 co-orbital asteroids that person nan imaginable to “approach nan Earth,” according to a new study published successful nan diary Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The study from nan University of São Paulo successful Brazil, led by Valerio Carruba, said that immoderate of these asteroids “can airs a collisional hazard to Earth.”

In fact, nan study stated that a number of these asteroids are “capable of galore adjacent encounters—and possibly collisions—with Earth.”  One peculiar asteroid is moreover considered a imaginable “city-killer.”

Gravitational shifts and different factors could origin galore of these abstraction rocks to beryllium propelled toward Earth, according to nan researchers.

But nan study said these perchance vulnerable asteroids tin beryllium difficult to spot, making it much difficult to foretell really they could perchance interact pinch nan Earth.

Additionally, nan experts said, "there are still undetected asteroids successful nan soul Solar System pinch nan imaginable to origin important harm to Earth.”

“While surveys for illustration those from nan [Vera] Rubin Observatory whitethorn beryllium capable to observe immoderate of these asteroids successful nan adjacent future, we judge that only a dedicated observational run from a space-based ngo adjacent Venus could perchance representation and observe each nan still ‘invisible’ PHA [potentially hazardous asteroids] among Venus’ co-orbital asteroids,” nan researchers said. 

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The Vera Rubin Observatory is expected to statesman afloat operations successful July 2025, according to Daily Galaxy.

The observatory tin thief amended discovery of these potentially-dangerous asteroids, but experts said nan sun’s positioning will only connection constricted windows of clip to do so.