Could we stop an asteroid on a collision course toward Earth?
Could we stop an asteroid on a collision course toward Earth? Talk of “saving the world” is generally best left to comic book characters and prophets — unless you happen to work for any of several international organizations tasked with identifying and tracking near-Earth objects (NEOs). Dubbed Spaceguard, this effort includes such organizations as NASA’s Near Earth Object Program and Italy’s Asiago – DLR Asteroid Survey. These societies scan our solar system for objects destined to pass through Earth’s orbit, especially asteroids 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter or larger. Should one of these “extinction class” NEOs collide with the planet, the effects would be catastrophic. Many scientists think such an asteroid impact caused mass extinction 65 million years ago, and the 1908 Tunguska Event serves as a stern
