Asteroids are threatening our planet Earth once again! Another discovery that has shocked astronomers when they saw a rare group of space rocks was near Venus. These rocks are known as co-orbital asteroids and they have been found sharing Venus’s path around the Sun. Although this might seem a regular space activity for us, these asteroids have astronomers on alert.

A recent study published in the prestigious journal Icarus shows that some of these asteroids could change their path making them go toward the Earth’s orbit, becoming a risk thousands of years from now.

This is not the first time asteroids have posed a risk to elements os the universe. What scientists are doing to try to protect us is to use next-generation technology, such as Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile and NASA’s powerful NEO Surveyor telescope. So, let’s find out more about this discovery!

Venus co-orbital asteroids, what are they?

Scientists have made a discovery that’s striking for them and it should be for us. A group of rare asteroids, known as Venus co-orbitals, has caught the attention of astronomers around the world. Why? Because they will be a risk for the future of our planet Earth.

These asteroids orbit the Sun at roughly the same distance as Venus, traveling along with the planet in what astronomers call gravitationally stable zones, or Lagrange points.

So far, 20 of these objects have been identified and most of them mind their own business, without being any risk for any element. But, according to simulations published in the journal Icarus, three of them might eventually break free from their safe zones, and that’s where our planet Earth could become their target and be at risk.

Is this happening now?

Don’t worry! These asteroids won’t hit Earth anytime soon. But they will in thousands of years since gravitational nudges from other planets (especially Earth and Jupiter) could cause these asteroids to shift their orbits. If that happens, some may start drifting into Earth’s neighborhood.

They’re big enough to worry about (300 to 400 meters in diameter) which puts them in the “potentially hazardous” category. While the risk is long-term, the implications are serious enough to demand attention now.

Not that easy to see them

These asteroids are very close to the Sun, from our point of view. That means telescopes on Earth can only see them for a short time during dawn or dusk, when the Sun’s glare is weakest. This makes it really tough to detect and track them, that’s why scientists are using the big guns:

  • Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Chile): it is a powerful ground-based telescope with an ultra-wide field of view. It’s used to scan the sky like never before and potentially spot thousands of new objects.
  • NEO Surveyor (NASA): this one is a space-based infrared telescope that won’t be affected by Earth’s atmosphere. It’s perfect for spotting dark or hidden asteroids near the Sun.

Importance of this discovery

As we mentioned before, this crash isn’t happening tomorrow. However, this discovery reinforces something we already knew, how complex and unpredictable our solar system really is.

The good news is that we have great technology that will be even more powerful in the future, international cooperation, and constant vigilance. All of this makes it possible to stay ahead of potential threats. Tracking and studying these hidden objects helps us prepare for long-term risks, improve space monitoring technology, and gain a better understanding of the forces shaping the space around our planet.

This is another scientific study showing how important science is for the present and the future of our planet Earth. So, we should listen to what scientists and authorities have to say about these space concerns.