‘Armageddon’ or reality? KIRO hosts discuss ‘city-killer’ asteroids near Earth

A minimum of three “city-killer” asteroids have been spotted near Venus, and they could strike Earth in the next few weeks without warning.

“City-killer” asteroids are defined as asteroids reaching 40-80 meters in size that could cause significant damage to Earth, depending on where they fall.

“Are you a believer in city-killing asteroids?” KIRO host Jake Skorheim asked his co-host, Spike O’Neill.

“Yes,” Spike answered on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “There is always so much stuff floating around out there. It’s amazing to me that more catastrophic impacts have not occurred.”

The three asteroids, named 2020 SB, 524522, and 2020 CL1, have unstable orbits that could take them dangerously close to Earth, a research team from the São Paulo University in Brazil reported. They each measure between 330 and 1,300 feet in diameter, and could level a city, cause massive fires, or trigger a tsunami depending on where they land.

While not on course to hit and impact the planet yet, the research team found that if their shaky trajectories shift only slightly, caused by a small gravitational change or other force, the asteroids could be on a collision course with Earth.

Have movies prepared us for this potential disaster?

“If the orbit is unstable enough, and it veers off even just a tiny little bit, boom! Could take out a city,” Jake said.

“Could take out a city within weeks,” Spike added.

“Have you ever seen the movie ‘Deep Impact?'” Jake asked.

“Of course, it’s the second greatest asteroid movie, by the way,” Spike answered.

“What’s the No. 1 greatest? Oh, ‘Armageddon,'” Jake replied.

“Come on, man, Armageddon. Revitalized Aerosmith’s career,” Spike said.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.