21/02/2025
💥Torino Impact Hazard Scale -
The **Torino Impact Hazard Scale** is a system used to assess and communicate the potential risk of a near-Earth asteroid or comet colliding with our planet. It was developed in 1999 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as a way to provide an easy-to-understand means of categorizing the threat posed by these space objects.
The scale ranges from **0 to 10**, with each level corresponding to a different degree of risk:
- **0**: No risk – The object poses no danger of impact.
- **1**: Very low risk – The object has a very low probability of impact, but it is being monitored.
- **2**: Low risk – The object has a small chance of impact, but it is unlikely to cause significant harm.
- **3**: Moderate risk – The object has a potential impact risk, but the likelihood of harm is still low.
- **4**: Elevated risk – The risk of impact is higher, and further monitoring and studies are required.
- **5**: High risk – The probability of impact is significant and should be closely watched.
- **6**: Very high risk – The object is likely to impact, and severe damage is possible.
- **7**: Severe risk – The object is on a collision course, and significant damage is expected.
- **8**: Extreme risk – The object is almost certain to collide with Earth, and catastrophic damage is anticipated.
- **9**: Certain impact – An impact is inevitable, with potentially catastrophic consequences for life on Earth.
- **10**: Certain extinction event – The impact is expected to cause massive destruction, potentially leading to the extinction of life on Earth.
The scale is intended to give the public, media, and decision-makers a simple, numeric way of understanding the potential risk, though it can be updated as more observations and data are gathered. In practice, most asteroids and comets remain at the lower end of the scale (0-2), with only a few ever reaching a level that would warrant serious concern.