Forget about big asteroids hitting earth, it’s the small ones that could cause an Armageddon. Known as “airbursters,” the small space rocks are a more immediate threat, according to scientists. They can cause localized destruction and may intrude in our airspace with little warning time. When an airbursting asteroid, called a bolide, exploded over an island region of Indonesia late last year, it rocked the residents’ world with an estimated energy release of about 50 kilotons, equal to some 110,000 pounds of TNT. The objects are expected to impact earth on average every two to 12 years.
