Dr Lewis Dartnell, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Westminster, reassured Mashable India no asteroid will destroy the entire world.
The Earth is not going to be destroyed by an asteroid
Dr Lewis Dartnell
He said: “The Earth is not going to be destroyed by an asteroid.
“Alright, so a different question might be, could all life on earth be driven to extinction by asteroids?
“Again the answer would be that no. There’s no asteroid big enough that on collision with the Earth could do that.”
US space agency NASA estimates the current known asteroid count to be 796,751.
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Asteroid apocalypse: An asteroid strike almost certainly killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago(Image: Getty)
Asteroid apocalypse: NASA estimates the current known asteroid count as 796,751(Image: Getty/Express)
Most of this rocky detritus is found orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt.
These ancient space rocks range in size from Vesta – the largest at 329 miles (530km) in diameter – to bodies less than 33ft (10m) across.
Dr Dartnell added it is highly unlikely asteroid armageddon will occur any time soon.
He said: “If we were very, very unlucky, and they strike over a major city, then they could destroy the city.
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“But, the chances of that happening are very unlikely.”
“Asteroid Apophis is one of the asteroids that we are tracking and we know that it is not going to impact for the next few decades and will continue on trail.”
The asteroid expert has nonetheless conducted much research surrounding rebooting civilisation after an apocalypse event.
And he believes recent generations’ post-apocalypse survival skills have regressed.
He said: “The scenes of how the modern world works- where does all the stuff you take for granted everyday lives – be it the food appearing on the shelves at the shop or electricity or tools we use or the cities we live in … how do they provide us?
“How are they made? How does it come to us?
“Our grandparents had a much closer connection with these things, they understood where this came from and how they’re made.
“I think those skills have been lost in more recent generations.
“We don’t really understand or appreciate where they come from.“
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Asteroid apocalypse: Vesta is the largest asteroid at 329 miles wide(Image: Getty/Express)
Asteroid apocalypse: Astronomers discovered asteroid Apophis on June 19, 2004(Image: UH/IA/NASA)
“How are they made? How does it come to us?
“Our grandparents had a much closer connection with these things, they understood where this came from and how they’re made.
“I think those skills have been lost in more recent generations.
“We don’t really understand or appreciate where they come from.“
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