@VRubinObs πŸ”­ Today, #astronomers are aware of only about 40 percent πŸ“Š of potentially hazardous #asteroids β˜„οΈ - close-flying objects that are large enough to cause continent-wide destruction if they were to impact πŸ’₯ Earth. "The idea is, if there is an object like that, we want to find it while it’s maybe 40 or 50 years out, because that gives us enough time to figure out how we’re going to deflect it.” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-revolutionary-new-observatory-will-locate-threatening-asteroids-and-millions-of-galaxies-180984514/

#Observatory#Astronomy#AsteroidThreat

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List of predicted πŸ”­ #asteroid β˜„οΈ impacts on Earth 🌏 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_predicted_asteroid_impacts_on_Earth

#AsteroidThreat

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Only eight #asteroids β˜„οΈ have ever been detected before impact πŸ’₯ with #Earth’s atmosphere. The first of these discoveries took place in πŸ“† 2008, and four were detected in just the last two years https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/Asteroid_2024_BX1_spotted_three_hours_before_impact

#Asteroid danger explained : "The main challenge stems from the population of middle-size objects, ranging from tens to hundreds of metres in diameter. There are a lot of these asteroids, and most have not been spotted yet." https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2018/06/Asteroid_danger_explained

#ESA#AsteroidThreat

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