Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

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In documents developed by Los Alamos atomic weapons centre in New Mexico, nuclear missiles are cited as our only defence against the growing threat of meteors and asteroids.

Last week, scientists at the centre, explained how the threat of an asteroid impact is far greater than had been previously acknowledged.

Experts said that further research is required in order to determine the best method to  destroy or deflect them.

Robert Weaver in an abstract submitted to the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting said: "The goal is to study the effectiveness of using a nuclear explosive to alter the orbit or destroy a potentially harmful object."

Weaver told the Sunday Times, that a large impact could be "disastrous."

He explained: "The risks include a direct hit in an urban area, the generation of a tsunami, and regional and global effects from medium to large impactors."

Scientists in Britain had previously warned the earth was particularly unprepared for an asteroid hit.

Research scientist and US astronaut Rusty Schweickart speaking in London recently said it is “only a matter of time” before one hits. He warned it is out there “with our address on it”.

He said an asteroid 65 million years ago was not only responsible for killing off the dinosaurs but 70 per cent of other species on the planet.

He said: “Asteroids hit, and they hit the Earth, these impacts really do happen and when they do they can really kill, and kill big.

“In the 90s the realisation was that they still happen and they happen quite dramatically."

Professor Weaver and his colleagues are attempting to create computer simulations in order to prepare for such an event.

Around 99 per cent of all asteroids capable of hitting the planet are currently undetected, leaving scientists and Government officials in the dark as to their size, speed or course.