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Scientists Warn ‘Invisible’ Asteroids Could Head for Earth

Our nearest planetary neighbor is hiding potentially deadly asteroids—and we might not see them till it’s too late.

At least three city-killing asteroids are lurking around our nearest planetary neighbor—and could strike Earth with little warning, a new study found. Scientists from Brazil, France, and Italy warned that the sun’s glare can obscure asteroids orbiting in sync with Venus, making them nearly impossible to detect. Venus is currently 62 million miles from Earth and, for now, our closest interplanetary neighbor. Three of these space rocks—measuring between 330 and 1,300 feet in diameter—follow especially unstable orbits that bring them perilously close to our planet. “Co-orbital status protects these asteroids from close approaches to Venus, but it does not protect them from encountering Earth,” the scientists warned. In the ultimate doomsday scenario, an impact could unleash energy a million times greater than the nuclear bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, leveling cities and triggering tsunamis, according to the Daily Mail. While NASA and other agencies track potentially hazardous asteroids, those sharing Venus’ orbit stay “invisible” due to the sun’s glare. The scientists said a space probe positioned near Venus, facing away from the sun, could improve detection—and give us the heads up we need.