The equipment available today at the disposal of astronomers does not allow timely detection of small asteroids, like the Chelyabinsk meteorite, and prevent their fall to the Earth, as well as the associated negative consequences. The system for detecting such threats should be located directly in space, according to the report of the All-Russian Research Institute on Civil Defense and Emergencies of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the Institute of Dynamics of Geospheres of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the RIA Novosti agency writes.
Experts stated that modern equipment makes it possible to keep potentially dangerous space objects out of sight, but the smaller the object, the more difficult it is to detect and keep in sight. For example, the asteroid 2017 BQ6, which flew past Earth on February 7 at a distance of only two and a half million kilometers, was discovered by astronomers just a week and a half before it approached our planet.
It is even more difficult to see objects less than 20 meters in diameter. So the Chelyabinsk meteorite, the transverse size of which was 16 - 19 meters, was impossible to see in advance - modern astronomical technology does not allow this.
From a distance, the limited penetrating power of survey telescopes does not allow to detect an approaching object. Noticing space objects from a short distance is hampered by their high speed and short time spent in the atmosphere.
Visual observation in the case of the Chelyabinsk meteorite was impossible, since it approached our planet from the direction of the Sun at a very small angle.
The range of the most powerful observation systems that exist today does not exceed 20 thousand kilometers, and a meteorite travels such a distance in less than 20 minutes, therefore, no one will have time to react to its approach. Observation is also hampered by the high speed of space objects, which does not allow capturing their movement.
Space researchers note that now it is necessary to focus on reducing damage from a collision and being able to timely warn of an impending danger several hours in advance, since it is not yet possible to predict and prevent meteorites from falling. Scientists also emphasized that the development of space instruments to detect potentially dangerous space bodies and prevent their collisions with the Earth is justified.