Asteroid Impact and Prevention Quiz

What was the significant outcome of the Chelyabinsk asteroid event in 2013?

• It caused a nuclear winter.

• It flattened a large forest area.

• It resulted in numerous fatalities.

• It exploded in the air with the power of half a megaton of TNT.

How often do city-killer asteroids, ranging from 20-100 meters, typically impact Earth?

• Once every decade

• Once every millennium

• Once every century

• Once every million years

What is a potential consequence of a 2-3 kilometer asteroid impact?

• It will only affect oceanic life.

• It will have no significant impact.

• It will result in a global nuclear winter.

• It will cause minor regional damage.

What is the primary goal of the Spaceguard Program?

• To build underground bunkers

• To track and find the largest comets and asteroids crossing Earth's orbit

• To launch nuclear weapons into space

• To develop new space travel technologies

What is the purpose of the Sentinel infrared telescope proposed by the B612 organization?

• To monitor solar flares

• To study the moon's surface

• To track hundreds of thousands of NEOs

• To explore distant galaxies

What is the main challenge in detecting smaller NEOs like the Chelyabinsk asteroid?

• They are very faint specks in space.

• They are too fast to track.

• They are always hidden behind the moon.

• They are too large to monitor.

Which method involves using a heavy spaceship to alter an asteroid's course?

• Nuclear explosion

• Kinetic impact

• Gravitational tractor

• Spray painting

What is a gravitational tractor used for in asteroid deflection?

• To push the asteroid with a light sail

• To explode a nuke on the asteroid

• To pull the asteroid off course using mutual gravity

• To paint the asteroid with reflective paint

What is the Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle designed to do?

• Create a deep crater for a nuke to explode in

• Paint asteroids with reflective paint

• Launch astronauts to asteroids

• Track NEOs from Earth's orbit

What is the main advantage of breaking an asteroid into smaller pieces?

• It makes the asteroid invisible.

• It makes tracking easier.

• It reduces the overall impact damage.

• It increases the asteroid's speed.