NASA effort to bring home asteroid rocks will end this weekend in triumph or a crash
NPR Online NewsSep 29, 2023
The Facts
Astronomers have found three near-Earth asteroids, dubbed "planet killers" due to their massive size, during a brief window of twilight. The asteroids were in an orbit between Earth and Venus, and are usually hidden within the sun's glare.
One of them, known as 2022 AP7, is around one mile long and gets as close as 4.4M miles to Earth within its orbital path — uncomfortably close by cosmic standards. It could potentially be the largest asteroid found in eight years.
The Spin
Narrative A
If an asteroid were to become an actual threat to life on Earth, it's important to detect them years in advance. More study, observations, and technological advancements for deflection are needed — this can't be a last-minute endeavor.
Narrative B
This is yet another headline where publications take the technical terms used by scientists and blow them out of proportion for clicks. In reality, anything as far out as 85% of the way to Mars could be considered "near-Earth." There are no cosmic worries in this story.
