Astronomers are getting better at detecting asteroids before they hit Earth – and it could save us from catastrophe

By Daniel Brown, Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University

On September 4 2024, astronomers discovered an asteroid, one metre in diameter, heading towards Earth. The space rock would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere near the Philippines later that day, officials announced. Nevertheless, it produced a spectacular fireball that was shared in videos posted on social media.

The object, known as RW1, was only the ninth asteroid to be spotted before impact. But what of much bigger, more dangerous asteroids? Would…

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