Is it possible to destroy an asteroid?

Answer 1

The only thing that destroys asteroids (until now) has been collisions with other objects; other asteroids, the Moon, the Earth, other planets or the Sun. (There have been asteroids that have fallen into the Sun!) When an asteroid collides with another asteroid, it doesn't actually destroy either asteroid; it just breaks both of them into smaller pieces.

Answer 2

It is possible in theory, but one has to wonder why.

Asteroids hit Earth every year, most, if not all disintegrate in the atmosphere. Only a few reach the surface.

If it's large enough and on a collision with Earth or the Moon or another planet?

What are the objectives: To alter the course or to obliterate it.

To attempt to obliterate an asteroid is futile, you'd just end up with billions of smaller asteroids and meteoroids spreading all over the place like a shotgun blast, In all essence, you could actually send a piece of it somewhere, where it was not destined to go in the first place. Just like a large dog, best to leave it where it is.

Heading for Earth: Part of the NEO (Near Earth Object) surveillance is to detect objects that "could" impact with the Earth. Luckily, no objects have been found "so far" - the only object on the "watch list" is 99942 Apophis which was destined to impact Earth in 2009 but didn't (Hence how this is now being written). It's now predicted to impact in 2036. Phew.

Trying to destroy an asteroid is not a simple fact. One can't just send Bruce Willis up with a few nuclear bombs, and hope for the best - or worst. Hollywood would make us believe that it would happen, but what truth has come out of Hollywood?

We can't just send up a couple of nuclear missiles. 1) We don't have a rocket with sufficient payload to deliver such a weapon. 2) It wouldn't do any good, a nuclear bomb has to have something to "push" against to deliver the "force". In space there is nothing to push against. The only way to use nuclear weapons is to imbed them into the asteroid - call up Bruce Willis. See above.

The preferred option is to "nudge" the asteroid away from it's predetermined path. Using rockets like large dumpster trucks, it's possible, given enough time and resources, to alter the trajectory of the asteroid away from Earth.

However, this posses additional problems. By altering the trajectory, the asteroid may miss Earth, this time, but might cause a cacophony of additional problems. It may swing by Jupiter dislodging more asteroids from the Asteroid Belt or move into a more deadly orbit that cannot be altered.

At the moment we do not have the resources or the equipment for any of these options.

If an asteroid is detected on a collision course with Earth tomorrow, we have no alternative but to put our heads between our legs and ...........