Nuclear X-Rays Could Deflect Life-Threatening Asteroids, Study Shows

Researchers have demonstrated in a lab that X-rays from a nuclear blast can alter an asteroid's course, offering a potential planetary defense strategy.

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories used the world's most powerful X-ray machine to test asteroid deflection.
The experiment showed that X-rays from a nuclear explosion could vaporize part of an asteroid's surface, creating thrust to change its trajectory.
The study suggests that this method could deflect asteroids up to four kilometers wide if detected in advance.
This approach could be more effective for larger asteroids compared to previous methods, such as NASA's DART mission.
Further research is needed to understand how different asteroid compositions would respond to X-ray deflection.

South China Morning Post