Assessing the Real Threat: Asteroids and Our Planet

Asteroids pose both frequent but low-impact collisions with small asteroids and rare but high-impact collisions with large asteroids. Small asteroids largely break up in Earth's atmosphere and don't reach the surface, while larger asteroids can cause significant damage. The number of asteroids that come close to Earth varies based on their size, with thousands of near misses for every impact that could threaten civilization. Currently, all known asteroids have a rating of zero on the Torino Scale, which categorizes predicted threats. Advanced technology, such as the recent DART mission, offers the potential to change the trajectory of asteroids and protect Earth from collision if given enough lead time.