Threat of Asteroid Hitting The Earth Growing, Say Experts

The risk of a sizeable asteroid hitting the Earth is significantly growing every few years, warn Czech scientists who analysed 144 fireballs from a recent meteor shower. The Taurid meteor shower showed significantly enhanced activity in 2015. Researchers found that this was due to a well defined orbital structure.

Researchers from the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences showed that a “new branch” of Taurids contains at least two asteroids of the size 200-300 metres. Since it is likely that numerous of undiscovered asteroids of decameter or even larger size are present as well, impact hazard increases significantly when the Earth encounters the Taurid new branch every few years, researchers said.