A group of researchers Try The radio signal is reflected off the 500-foot-wide asteroid as it passes Land Tuesday.
The High Frequency Active Aurora Program (HAARP) aims to orient its antennas On asteroid 2010 XC15, the space rock is classified as a near-Potentially dangerous terrestrial asteroids. Efforts are tests to prepare for a larger body, known as Apophi, Which will have a close encounter with our planet in 2029.
“What’s new and what we’re trying to do is explore the interior of asteroids using longwave radar and radio telescopes from Earth,” said Mark Hynes, the project’s principal investigator and radar systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. in Southern California. a declaration. The longer wavelengths penetrate the body much better than the radio wavelengths used for communication.
HAARP is a research facility in Gakona, Alaska (one of which is Subject of many conspiracy theories). It consists of 180 high-frequency antennas, each 72 feet high and spread over 33 acres. That A structure that sends radio packets in one direction Ionosphere, the ionized part of the atmosphere Located About 50 to 400 miles (80 to 600 kilometers) above the earth’s surface. HAARP sends radio signals into the ionosphere and waits to see how they return, in an effort to measure disturbances caused by the sun, among other things.
Agency Launch a science campaign in October With 13 experiments, including one involving a reflected signal from the moon. At that time, HAARP researcher It is considering sending radio signals to asteroids to examine the interiors of rocky bodies.
During today’s experiment, TJThe HAARP antenna in Alaska will broadcast radio signals to the asteroid, And then the scientists Check If the reflected signal comes in a Antenna array on the University of New Mexico Long Wavelength Array and approx Owens Valley Radio Observatory long wavelength array.
HAARP will continuously send a chirp signal just above and below 9.6MHz; The tweets will repeat every two seconds. On its closest approach on Dec. 27, the asteroid will be about twice the distance from the Moon to Earth.
Tuesday’s experiment aims to prepare for an imminent asteroid encounter in 2029. This potentially dangerous asteroid, officially known as 99942 Apophis, about 1210 feet (370 meters) widewill enter 20,000 miles (32,000 km) from Earth on April 13, 2029. NEOs are thought to pose little danger to Earth in 2068, but NASA ruled it out.
However, HAARP wants to research the asteroid to prepare for potential future dangers Space rock. “The longer it takes before potential impact occurs, the more options there are for distraction,” says Heinz.
In September, NASA’s DART spacecraft cmSwinging in small rows asteroid And he managed to change his orbit. Such a strategy can singles A way to transform menacing space rocks Land.
Today Test Indicates the possibility of using longwave radio signals for investigations inside the asteroids. “If we can get the ground system to work, it will give us lots of opportunities to try to sense these things internally,” Haynes said.
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