In July 2024, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office unveiled its most recent findings regarding near-Earth objects (NEOs), shedding light on the growing catalog of asteroids and comets that could potentially intersect with Earth’s orbit. This update underscores NASA’s dedicated efforts in planetary defense, aiming to monitor and assess the threats posed by these celestial bodies. The agency has identified and characterized over 35,000 near-Earth asteroids, with 863 of them measuring larger than 1 kilometer in diameter. This ongoing surveillance is crucial not only for safeguarding our planet but also for advancing our understanding of the dynamic and sometimes hazardous environment surrounding Earth.
