What is the primary objective when tracking Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)?
Answer
To determine their orbits with enough precision to predict impact threats.
While asteroids present scientific opportunities, there is an immediate, high-stakes practical motivation for tracking them, known as planetary defense. Asteroids that cross or approach Earth’s orbital path are categorized as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The paramount goal in monitoring NEOs is achieving sufficient orbital precision to calculate future trajectories and accurately determine if any pose a significant impact threat to Earth in the foreseeable future. Catastrophic impacts, though infrequent, carry the potential for global disruption and mass extinction events, reinforcing the continuous and data-intensive nature of these ongoing observation campaigns.
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