SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -Current mechanisms for detecting asteroids on approach rely on ground based telescopes with wide fields of view. Those currently can monitor the sky at most every second night, and therefore miss most of the smaller asteroids which are bright enough to detect for less than two days.

Detailed explanation-2: -If it should pass that a sizable asteroid is destined for Earth, NASA astronomers and orbital modelers will run thousands of simulations, somewhat similar to weather or hurricane prediction, to forecast where it’s likely to land.

Detailed explanation-3: -NASA’s planetary defense strategy involves detecting and tracking these objects using telescopes on the ground and in space. In fact, NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, or CNEOS, monitors all known near-Earth objects to assess any impact risk they may pose.

Detailed explanation-4: -NASA has a network of 17 cameras called the NASA All Sky Fireball Network, aiming to observe meteors in the sky brighter than Venus, which are called fireballs.

Detailed explanation-5: -Most asteroids aren’t visible with the naked eye or without access to a powerful telescope. The event can be watched through the Virtual Telescope Project, a group of robotic telescopes operated by the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy.