Fall to Earth of Fragments of Destroyed Asteroid

Abstract

The effect of the destruction of asteroids in orbits as they approach the Earth, and the consequences of their impacts, have been estimated. The areas affected by a shock wave, a seismic wave, and radiation upon impact of stony asteroids on land or upon entry into the atmosphere over land at a speed of 20 km/s are determined for a range of their sizes of 20–500 m. It has been found that arbitrary destruction of an asteroid near the Earth can lead to an increase in the total area affected by shock waves and thermal radiation during impacts of individual fragments. In the general case, reduction of damage after the destruction of asteroids with diameters of 150–500 m can be achieved if the bulk of the fragments are bodies with dimensions of less than 20–30 m, which do not pose a catastrophic danger.