Dec 14, 2021 - Science

Asteroids visualized

Miriam Kramer

Screenshot of asteroids tracked by NASA as visualized in a graphic — Asteroids tracked by NASA. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is constantly tracking potentially dangerous asteroids in Earth's vicinity, and now a new tool allows anyone to explore their paths through the solar system.

Why it matters: There are about 28,000 near-Earth asteroids and comets tracked by astronomers to make sure they don't pose a risk to our planet.

Details: The interactive tool allows anyone using it to zoom in on specific asteroids of interest in order to learn more about the objects and their orbits.

Another feature of the tool allows users to see the next five close approaches of asteroids to Earth.
"We were keen to include this feature, as asteroid close approaches often generate a lot of interest," Jason Craig, one of the developers of the tool, said in a statement.
"The headlines often depict these close approaches as ‘dangerously’ close, but users will see by using Eyes just how distant most of these encounters really are."

What's next: A NASA mission called DART is currently on its way to impact a near-Earth asteroid and learn how to redirect it.

That type of tech could come in handy if one of these possibly dangerous space rocks is ever found on a collision course with Earth.

Add Axios on Google

Asteroids visualized

What to read next