“Most researchers were modeling asteroids like a sphere. It makes the math easier. It’s a huge calculation, and the codes can handle spheres. The trouble is, spherical asteroids don’t exist,” said Sandia National Laboratories physicist Nathan Moore. A new asteroid deflection model developed at Sandia incorporates realistic asteroid shapes and high-fidelity math, with surprising results. (Photo by Craig Fritz)
A nuclear explosion could potentially protect Earth from an incoming asteroid by releasing powerful Xrays that heat its surface and push it onto a safer trajectory. However, new research suggests that the success of such a mission could depend heavily on which side of the asteroid receives the blast.
Unlike the smooth, round objects often used in computer simulations, r...
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