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Scientists say X-rays from nuclear explosion may deflect asteroids from Earth
Scientists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, say potentially dangerous asteroids could possibly be deflected by exploding a nuclear warhead more than a mile from its surface and showering it with X-rays to send it in a different direction.
Previous methods, as seen in blockbuster movies like “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact,” involved blowing up a nuclear warhead on an asteroid or comet and shattering it into multiple pieces.
But scientists now say the method would change the space object from a lethal bullet headed toward Earth into a shotgun blast of multiple fragments.
Last year, the National Academy of Sciences released a report calling planetary defense a national priority, and according to an ongoing NASA sky survey, the threat is credible.
STADIUM-SIZED ASTEROID DEEMED ‘POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS’ BY NASA, IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ‘RELATIVELY CLOSE’ TO EARTH
An artist’s impression of a large asteroid impacting at Chicxulub on the Mexican coastline, which caused a mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. (Mark Garlick/Reuters)
The sky survey found there are about 25,000 objects big enough to cause varying degrees of destruction to Earth, and only about a third of them have been detected and tracked, according to a press release from the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.
Many of the objects move invisibly in the sun’s glare. In 2013, a relatively small object created chaos in Russia while a larger asteroid is credited with ending the age of dinosaurs.
“To most people, the danger from asteroids seems remote,” Nathan Moore, a physicist at Sandia National Laboratories said. “But our planet is hit by BB-sized asteroids every day. We call them shooting stars. We don’t want to wait for a large asteroid to show up and then scramble for the right method to deflect it.”
Moore’s team conducted several experiments with Sandia’s Z machine, the most powerful pulsed-power machine on Earth, to monitor the deflection of synthetic asteroids hit by Z’s sudden shocks.
FLASHBACK: STUDY SAYS ASTEROID THAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS ALSO CAUSED A GLOBAL TSUNAMI
2024 ON will be 621,000 miles from Earth on Tuesday night, NASA says. (NASA)
While the machine is on Earth, all experiments are affected by gravity, though Moore’s team was able to beat the inevitable force temporarily to create a better simulation of asteroids floating freely in space.
Moore’s experiments used a technique called X-ray scissors, which removed the skewing effect of friction and gravity for a few microseconds.
The X-ray scissors allowed the model to create the effect of redirecting a free-floating asteroid when hit by a series of nuclear-intensity explosions.
Although the experiments were done in a much smaller environment than space, they could be scaled to predict the effects of nuclear explosions on an actual asteroid.
DINOSAUR-KILLING ASTEROID LIKELY CAME FROM BEYOND JUPITER, STUDY FINDS
An illustration of an asteroid. The asteroid roughly the size of Rome’s Colosseum — between 300 to 650 feet (100 to 200 meters) in length — was detected by an international team of European astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. (N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), ESO/M. Kornmesser and S. Brunier, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org))
“I started working through the logic of how I could deflect a miniature asteroid in a laboratory just like in outer space,” Moore said. “A key fact was that asteroids in outer space aren’t attached to anything. But in a lab, everything is pulled down by Earth’s gravity, so everything is held in place by its gravitational attachment to something else. This wouldn’t let our mock asteroid move with the freedom of one in outer space. And mechanical attachments would create friction that would perturb the mock asteroid’s motion.”
And that’s where the X-ray scissors came in. The method allowed scientists to release a mock asteroid the size of a tenth of a gram and made of silica, into the free space vacuum.
The material was suspended by foil eight times thinner than human hair, which vaporized instantly when the Z machine fired.
The silica was then left free-floating as the X-ray burst hit it.
NASA COLLISION WITH ASTEROID DIMORPHOS CHANGED BOTH ITS TRAJECTORY AND SHAPE
The DART spacecraft, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, from Simi Valley, Calif. after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“It was a novel idea,” Moore said. “A mock asteroid is suspended in space. For a one-nanometer fall, we can ignore Earth’s gravity for 20 millionths of a second as Z produces a burst of X-rays that sweeps over the mock-asteroid surface 12.5 millimeters across, about the width of a finger.
“The trick is to use just enough force to redirect the flying rock without splitting it into several equally deadly subsections advancing toward Earth,” Moore added, referring to a real intercept scenario like the recent NASA DART experiment.
The news comes just days after NASA monitored a “potentially hazardous” asteroid moving past Earth last Tuesday.
NASA told Fox News Digital that the rocky object, which has been named 2024 ON, is 350 meters long by 180 meters wide, which roughly equals 1,150 feet by 590 feet — larger than previous estimates.
NASA has deemed the asteroid “stadium-sized” and reported it was 621,000 miles away from Earth, which is considered relatively close. Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Fox News Digital that an asteroid of this size coming this close to Earth only happens every five to ten years.
Although the asteroid was close enough to Earth to be deemed a “potentially hazardous object,” Farnocchia said there is no chance the asteroid would hit Earth. The asteroid would need to be within a couple of hundred miles to be a concern.
The asteroid was one of five that would pass by Earth last week, but the other rocky objects were not expected to come nearly as close as 2024 ON. The four asteroids were between 1.1 to 3.9 million miles away from Earth, and three of the asteroids measured roughly 51 feet in diameter, which is the size of a house.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.
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12-year-old allegedly alive underwater for minutes before fatal scuba class failure: lawsuit
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The grieving parents of a Texas girl who drowned during a scuba certification class have filed a lawsuit against two agencies alleging the child’s death was preventable.
On Aug. 16, 2025, 12-year-old Dylan Harrison attended a private open water class purchased by her parents from Scubatoys, a local dive-shop, according to FOX 4.
When the family reportedly arrived at The Scuba Ranch, a scuba training lake located in nearby Terrell, they were told their daughter would be placed in a group of seven students.
The lawsuit also alleges the divemaster assured Dylan’s parents ahead of the class, telling them, “I will not take my eyes off your daughter.”
COLLEGE FRESHMAN DIED AFTER FRATERNITY HAZING LED TO ‘HORRIFIC’ ABUSE, FAMILY SAYS
12-year-old Dylan Harrison drowned while attending a private open water class in Terrell, Texas on Aug. 16, 2025, according to a lawsuit. (Dylan Harrison)
At the time of the class, Assistant Chief Deputy for the Collin County Sheriff’s Office William Armstrong was employed part-time as a scuba instructor, and had previously worked a full day as a deputy followed by a full overnight shift as a security officer at an investment firm, FOX 4 reported.
As Dylan and her 12-year-old swimming buddy entered the water, Armstrong allegedly did not check if Dylan was properly weighted, the lawsuit reportedly states.
Dylan was last seen alive when the class initially entered the water at 9:36 a.m. and resurfaced at 10:12 a.m. after a miscommunication with a student.
CRUISE SHIP CHAOS MOUNTS AS DEATHS, CRIMES ON BOARD SHATTER ILLUSIONS OF SAFETY AT SEA, EXPERTS WARN
Dylan Harrison died in a scuba diving accident while taking a class at the Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas on Aug. 16, 2025, according to a lawsuit. (Google Maps)
The lawsuit alleges that emergency services were not called to the scene until about 15 minutes later.
“Based on the amount of air left in [Dylan’s] scuba tank on the surface before she went missing and the amount of air left in the tank when she was found, it can be surmised that [she] was alive and breathing off her tank for several minutes after she was last seen,” the lawsuit revealed, according to FOX 4. “During this time, [Dylan] was alone, in poor visibility, and unable to reach the surface.”
Following the incident, Armstrong resigned from his position with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
FAMILY OF BRIANNA AGUILERA SUES OVER ALCOHOL SERVICE AHEAD OF DEATH
The private open water class was reportedly purchased from Scubatoys in Carrollton, Texas, according to the lawsuit. (Google Maps)
The 40-page lawsuit alleges Dylan’s death was preventable and the result of multiple failures after the industry turned a blind eye to safety concerns for several years.
Attorneys for the Harrison family reportedly point to a 2017 video of a staff meeting, in which Scubatoy owner Joe Johnson allegedly made dismissive comments about the safety protocols within the company’s classes, FOX 4 reported.
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“All I know is we’ve killed, what? 4 people? 5 people? And we’ve never even done a deposition,” Johnson said in the video. “Our insurance company just settles. John Witherspoon says we can kill two people a year and ‘we are fine.’”
Scubatoys, NAUI, PADI, the Scuba Ranch and the Harrison family’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Armstrong.
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Trump reacts to NBC host Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy’s mysterious abduction
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President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to personally call NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie and offer additional federal assistance following her mother’s apparent abduction in Tuscon, Arizona.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and was reported missing by her family around noon Sunday, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
While officials did not immediately elaborate on the circumstances of her disappearance, they said they believe Nancy Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted, and noted blood was found outside the home.
During a Q&A session in the White House Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said he is considering sending additional federal agents to assist with the investigation.
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie pictured on “Today” in 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
‘MORNING JOE’ HOST FIGHTS BACK TEARS WHILE DISCUSSING NEWS OF SAVANNAH GUTHRIE’S MOTHER’S DISAPPEARANCE
“I think it’s terrible,” Trump said. “I’m going to call [Savannah Guthrie] later on. I think it’s a terrible thing. … Very unusual situation, but we’re going to find out.”
Despite the pair’s showdown in an October 2020 NBC town hall, Trump added, “I always got along very good with Savannah.”
During the Miami town hall, Savannah Guthrie pressed Trump on his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his social media reposts questioning Osama bin Laden’s death.
At one point, she accused Trump of “sending a lie” to his followers, comparing him to “someone’s crazy uncle.”
NBC’S SAVANNAH GUTHRIE TO PULL OUT AS HOST OF WINTER OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY AS MOTHER REMAINS MISSING
While the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI continue to investigate Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, officials on Tuesday confirmed they are “aware” of reports of a possible ransom note.
“We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie provided by NBC in repsonse to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the Today Show host. (Courtesy of NBC)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE ASKS FOR PRAYER AS HER MOTHER REMAINS MISSING: ‘WE NEED YOU’
News outlets TMZ and KOLD 13 News announced on Tuesday they received unverified ransom notes demanding money for Nancy Guthrie’s return.
The note received by TMZ reportedly demanded millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency, with the outlet verifying the Bitcoin address was “real.”
TMZ said the letter, which was sent to authorities, included unreleased details about her disappearance and had a deadline.
Exteriors of missing person Nancy Guthrie’s home on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, is suspected of being abducted from her home earlier this week. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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It is unclear if the notes received by TMZ and KOLD are identical.
Anyone with information on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is asked to call the tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
NBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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Arizona man accused of human smuggling shot by federal authorities after firing at helicopter, agents: FBI
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An Arizona man suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants was shot Tuesday by federal officers during a gunfire exchange Tuesday after he opened fire on a law enforcement helicopter, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. near the town of Arivaca, Arizona, just miles from the southern border, after agents recognized a vehicle that belonged to a suspect related to a possible human trafficking incident from hours earlier in which everyone in the car fled during a stop, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters.
Hours later, agents spotted the same vehicle and made another traffic stop. The suspect, identified as Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, fled the vehicle on foot, Nanos said.
NARRATIVES CLASH AFTER TRUMP AND VICTIM’S FAMILY REACT TO SECOND MINN,APOLIS ICE SHOOTING
U.S. Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents from the Tucson Sector and Air and Marine Operations (AMO) participate in a demonstration of the rescue of a migrant lost in the Brown Canyon desert near Sasabe, Arizona. Authorities on Tuesday were investigating a shooting involving the Border Patrol in Arizona. (HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
At one point, he allegedly shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter and at agents, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Division.
“The individual fired at an Air and Marine Operations helicopter and fired at USBP agents,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Agents returned fire striking the driver.”
Schlegal, a U.S. citizen from Arizona, was rendered aid and taken to a hospital where he was recovering after undergoing surgery. He is expected to survive. No one else was harmed, authorities said.
Schlegal has a “significant criminal history,” Janke said, which includes an active federal arrest warrant issued in 2025 by the U.S. Marshals Service for an escape related to a previous federal alien smuggling conviction.
He is expected to be charged federally with assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, authorities said.
FORMER VIKINGS CAPTAIN SAYS MINNESOTA LIBERAL RESIST ICE BECAUSE ‘WE’RE DEPORTING THEIR VOTERS’
This photo shows a US Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, on January 15, 2019. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Nanos said he wasn’t sure if the Border Patrol agents involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras. He said multiple shots were fired, but was not sure how many.
“In Pima County, we’re not tolerating any abuse of a law enforcement officer… any type of abuse, but that goes for our citizens as well,” the sheriff said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the fire district, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security.
The sheriff’s department is conducting a parallel investigation and is leading the use-of-force investigation involving the agent, officials told the news outlet.
“Such requests are standard practice when a federal agency is involved in a shooting incident within Pima County and consistent with long-standing relationships built through time to promote transparency,” PCSD said.
Tuesday’s shooting was the second involving Border Patrol personnel in recent days. Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by USBP agents during a confrontation in Minnesota as federal authorities were conducting enforcement operations.
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It also came weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent while allegedly attempting to ram him with her vehicle in Minneapolis.
Both deaths have triggered citywide protests and unrest, and violent confrontations between federal authorities and anti-ICE agitators.
In Pima County, Nanos said his department doesn’t enforce immigration law. Border Patrol agents fired weapons in eight incidents during the 12-month period through September 2025, 14 times during the year before that and 13 times the year before that, according to The Associated Press.
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