Summary:
- Scientists propose using nuclear explosions to deflect asteroids by detonating a bomb above the surface, creating an X-ray burst that vaporizes part of the asteroid and alters its trajectory.
- Experiments at Sandia National Laboratories demonstrated this concept, showing that an X-ray burst could potentially redirect large asteroids, preventing catastrophic impacts on Earth.
- The technique, involving “X-ray scissors,” allows targets to accelerate naturally in a lab setting, simulating realistic conditions for asteroid deflection.
Read more at: space.com
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