THE WORLD_ Scientists reveal asteroid hit-list

Scientists reveal asteroid hit-list
AGENCIES
June 30, 2011, 6:57 am


•Space rock dangers
Days after a near hit from an asteroid, scientists have revealed where would be worst affected by an asteroid strike.

Scientists have released a list of countries they say would be worst affected by an asteroid strike - as a piece of space rock about the size of a large garbage truck hurtled past Earth two days ago.

China tops the list because of its sheer size and population, but others in the top ten include Indonesia, Japan, the US, the Philippines, Italy, Britain, Brazil and Nigeria.

The list has been compiled by researchers from the Britain's University of Southampton.

Countries which face devastation to infrastructure are Canada, the US, China, Japan and Sweden.

"The threat of Earth being hit by an asteroid is increasingly being accepted as the single greatest natural disaster hazard faced by humanity," Nick Bailey, of the University of Southampton, told The Daily Mail Newspaper.

"The consequences for human populations and infrastructure as a result of an impact are enormous.

"Nearly one hundred years ago a remote region near the Tunguska River witnessed the largest asteroid impact event in living memory when a relatively small object (approximately 50 meters in diameter) exploded in mid-air.

"While it only flattened unpopulated forest, had it exploded over London it could have devastated everything within the M25.

"Our results highlight those countries that face the greatest risk from this most global of natural hazards and thus indicate which nations need to be involved in mitigating the threat.’

The latest "near miss" occurred on Monday when a chunk of space rock measuring five to 20 meters in diameter, followed the same near-Earth path that scientists had earlier predicted, looping around the planet in a boomerang-shaped trajectory.

Its nearest approach took it times farther away than the International Space Station, which orbits the planet at a distance of 400km.

An object about the same size as Monday's near-Earth asteroid, designated by scientists as 2011 MD, zips past the planet at about the same distance every six years.

Even if an asteroid the size of 2011 MD ever entered the Earth's atmosphere, it would likely burn up and cause no damage to the planet, according to NASA.

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