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40,000 Near-Earth Asteroids Discovered: ESA Enhances Planetary Defense

11/26/2025

24 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Astronomers have identified 40,000 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), a milestone in tracking these objects.
The count rose from 1,000 at the start of the century to 30,000 by 2022, with 10,000 found in the last three years.
Nearly 2,000 NEAs have non-zero impact probabilities.
The European Space Agency (ESA) advances planetary defense with Hera, which studies asteroid impacts, and NEOMIR, which will detect sun-obscured asteroids.

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Story summary

Astronomers have identified 40,000 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), a milestone in tracking these objects.
The count rose from 1,000 at the start of the century to 30,000 by 2022, with 10,000 found in the last three years.
Nearly 2,000 NEAs have non-zero impact probabilities.
The European Space Agency (ESA) advances planetary defense with Hera, which studies asteroid impacts, and NEOMIR, which will detect sun-obscured asteroids.