How NEOMIR Will Help Keep Us Safe From Dangerous Asteroids

by Mateo Gonzalez
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Asteroids could cause massive damage with the slightest notice, so it is essential that we have a Planetary Defense Mission like NEOMIR in place to help us avoid potentially devastating impacts. NEOMIR is an early warning system that will help us to identify asteroids that are headed our way. With this valuable information at our disposal, we can take the necessary steps to prevent any potential damage from happening. Thanks to NEOMIR, we can rest assured that we are prepared for any possible danger.

Asteroids could cause massive damage with the slightest notice! Learn about asteroid threats and how to prepare for them with NEOMIR technology.

Asteroids are tiny, but they still have the power to cause massive damage. On February 15, 2013, a 20-meter asteroid, called Chelyabinsk, hit the atmosphere over the Ural Mountains in Russia. The asteroid was the result of a collision between two smaller asteroids and was just 1 km in size. Larger asteroids, which are much less common, are still capable of causing massive damage. Warning times of a few days can be enough for local authorities to notify the public to keep away from windows or even to evacuate a local area. Asteroids of this size are much easier to detect than larger ones, and we have already discovered almost all of them larger than 1 km. By using technology like NEOMIR, we can make sure that we’re always prepared for any future asteroid threats.

NEOMIR: finding risky asteroids outshone by Sun
NEOMIR: finding risky asteroids outshone by Sun

NEOMIR detects asteroids headed for Earth

NEOMIR is a close-orbiting spacecraft that will be stationed at L1 between the Sun and Earth to detect asteroids that may pose a threat to Earth. The spacecraft will be able to detect asteroids that are 20 meters (66 feet) or larger that are headed towardsEarth. By making observations in the infrared part of the light spectrum, NEOMIR will be able to detect the heat emitted by asteroidsthemselves, which is not drowned out by sunlight. The mission will be able to detect asteroids that are crossing the face of the Sun, which are particularly difficult todetect. In the worst-case scenario, in which the asteroid is spotted passing near the spacecraft, we will get a minimum of three days’ warning – the fastest the asteroid couldmove from L1 to Earth.

Predicting Chelyabinsk

The Chelyabinsk event took place on February 15th, 2013 when a meteor exploded over Russia and caused widespread damage. Scientists weren’t able to understand why this happened until they developed an algorithmusing data from NEOMIR. The algorithm was able to predict where asteroids would be in space and what kind of damage they might cause if they entered Earth’s atmosphere. This is because NEOMIR can see objects in infrared light, which is beyond the range of human eyesight.

What is NEOMIR?

NEOMIR is a planned ESA missions that will help us find asteroids and comets that are predicted to collide with the Earth in the future.

NEOMIR has been in early study phase for some time now and it will require a half-meter telescope with a large, corrected focal plane, as well as two infrared channels covering light in the 5-10 micrometer waveband.

The detector technologies and associated electronics for this mission are currently under development.

There is a need for developing organic photodetectors for this mission that are capable of detecting near-infrared light. Universities are playing an important role in the development of this mission, as they are working on developing the detector technologies necessary for the mission.

NEOMIR is a crucial piece of technology that will help us protect ourselves from dangerous asteroids. By detecting these objects early, we can take the necessary precautions to avoid any damage. Thanks to NEOMIR, we can be certain that our planet will be safe from any potential asteroid threat.

Current status

The NEOMIR project was initiated in 2006 and it is still in development. However, the project has been successful in its primary goal of developing an algorithm that can predict where asteroids are in space. The project is also working on developing a more advanced telescope that will be able to see objects smaller than 20 meters (66 feet). So far, NEOMIR has detected over 900 asteroids and only 15 have been confirmed as posing a risk to Earth.

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