Earth could be staring at a catastrophe waiting to happen because 39 asteroids roaming near us can possibly hit us at any time. There could be more of these invisible marauders in the vicinity, but the Sun makes detection harder. 

2,300ft newly discovered killer 'twilight' asteroid near the Sun could kill billions

As the comet approaches the Sun, solar heating will cause its icy nucleus to sublimate, releasing gas and dust. This will create a bright coma and tail, making 3I/ATLAS potentially visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

8 things that could happen if 3I/ATLAS gets close to Earth

Can NASA nuke an asteroid? It has plans to do so with asteroid 2024 YR4, which is predicted to crash into our Moon in 2032. If the asteroid hits the Moon, 100,000,000 kilograms of debris could be generated, and most of it could rain down on Earth.

Is NASA nuking an asteroid? Real-life Armageddon could happen by 2031 | Details

The study emphasises that many of these asteroids are large enough, at least 140 metres wide, to be classified as ‘city killers’ if they were to strike Earth. Such an impact could devastate a large urban area.

Invisible ‘city killer’ asteroids orbiting Venus could hit Earth without warning, scientists warn

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city killer-asteroids

2,300ft newly discovered killer 'twilight' asteroid near the Sun could kill billions

8 things that could happen if 3I/ATLAS gets close to Earth

Could NASA nuke an asteroid? Real-life Armageddon could happen by 2031 | Details

Invisible ‘city killer’ asteroids orbiting Venus could hit Earth without warning