Not to scare people, the danger of impacts on Earth is one we can defend against. Planetary Society @exploreplanets graphic shows process of finding & tracking NEOs. Research like #NASADART learning & engineering to deflect them. https://www.planetary.org/defend-earth #astronomy #LowFlyingRocks

@michael_w_busch Yup, odds are a collision will be ruled out. But at some point a potential impact will be confirmed. #2023DW still wouldn't be reason to panic. It's estimated a little smaller than the 1908 Tunguska asteroid, which is a serious hazard. 2046 is more than enough time to prevent an impact. Humanity has already practiced redirecting a bigger asteroid, Dimorphos, which #NASADART hit in 2022.

Initial news of a potential 2046 impact by #asteroid #2023DW is only tentative. In previous cases, further observations narrowed orbits to eliminate a collision. If not, we can move it: #NASADART hit a bigger asteroid in 2022 for practice. Stay tuned. #astronomy #LowFlyingRocks

"What we learned from NASA's asteroid-smashing DART mission" by New Scientist / Leah Crane - #NASADART impact on #asteroid Dimorphos moved it 3.6x more than expected because rocks blasted💥 away acted as thrust like a rocket🚀. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2361970-what-we-learned-from-nasas-asteroid-smashing-dart-mission/ #NASA #LowFlyingRocks