Scientists discover new formula to detect killer asteroids headed for Earth

Professor Noville, a Spanish scientist, has discovered a formula using the gravitational bending of light to pinpoint celestial objects including hazardous asteroids

Scientists make efforts to protect our planet from the potential impact of asteroids. A study was published by a Spanish scientist in the “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society” showing gravitational bending used to pinpoint precise locations of celestial objects which also includes asteroids headed to Earth.

 

A scientist from the University of Murcia, Professor Oscar del Barco Novillo, has shared an equation to spot killer asteroids heading for our planet. Explaining the formula, he said that it involves calculating the deflection angle of light due to massive objects like the Sun.

 

Professor Oscar del Barco Novillo's equation is based on the gravitational bending of light and will allow scientists to pinpoint the precise positions of minor objects in the solar system.

 

That includes objects in the Kuiper Belt, which is a region of icy objects including Pluto and other dwarf planets beyond Neptune's orbit. It also includes the vast, frozen, and spherical shell known as Oort Cloud.

 

It could allow planetary defence networks to detect and prevent potential asteroid collision with Earth. The advance warning will give time to deflect the path of the asteroid to a safer place.

 

Sir Isaac Newton proposed the idea that gravity might bend passing beams of light for the first time in 1730 which was endorsed by Albert Einstein in 1916 in his theory of general relativity.

 

Gravitational deflection can cause the beams of light to bend around massive objects, meaning the object is at a different place from where we are actually seeing it. This can be a major issue among astronomers.

 

In an interview with MailOnline, professional Novillo said, 'When the sunlight is reflected on the minor objects in the solar system, such as asteroids, the light beams we receive on Earth are deflected due to the Sun and major planets such as Jupiter.

 

“In this sense, the actual positions of these minor bodies are shifted, so this effect should be taken into account in the equations of motion of these minor bodies,” he added.

 

Professor Novillo calls the results of this discovery to enable “a better calculation of the orbits of minor objects in the solar system, which could be potentially hazardous to the Earth.”

 

The method will help figure out the precise location of these objects, and consequently, a better estimation of their orbits. 

Improving planetary defence

The application of Professor Novillo's formula is more than just spotting asteroids. This aims to help planetary defence systems such as Nasa’s DART mission that successfully changed the trajectory of the Dimorphos asteroid through satellite collision in 2022.

 

This new formula would be effective in mapping distant galaxies and exploring cosmic phenomena such as dark matter and dark energy. Professor Novillo states, “Distant galaxies distorted by intervening mass can now be located precisely.”

 

The formula could also help ESA's Euclid mission in creating detailed 3D maps of billions of galaxies in the coming six years. This latest integration of new equations will allow scientists to detect, understand, and potentially mitigate cosmic threats and dive deeper into the mysteries of the universe.