Image edited by The Asteroid News. Original public-domain artwork: Donald Davis' official site.
The Asteroid News is a science-focused educational publication created to provide clear, accurate, and contextual information about asteroids and near-Earth objects. The publication exists to address widespread public misunderstanding caused by sensational or fear-driven coverage of routine astronomical events, particularly Earth close approaches that are scientifically unremarkable but often portrayed as threats.
Many asteroid flybys that receive alarming headlines have never appeared on any official risk list and pose no danger to Earth. In some cases, such stories are published without meaningful context or follow-up, even after updated observational data confirms that no risk ever existed. This pattern can distort public understanding of planetary science and contribute to unnecessary anxiety.
The Asteroid News aims to improve scientific literacy by explaining what asteroids are, how they are discovered and tracked, how close-approach distances are measured, and how risk assessments are conducted. By focusing on data, methodology, and context rather than speculation, the publication seeks to replace confusion and fear with understanding.
The Asteroid News operates independently and is not affiliated with NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the European Space Agency's NEO Coordination Centre, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), or the Minor Planet Center. For the most current and authoritative asteroid data, readers are encouraged to consult those organizations directly.
The Asteroid News exists to inform, not alarm, and is committed to responsible science communication grounded in established scientific understanding and publicly available data.
This webpage has made use of data and/or services provided by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center.
This web page is using data from the The JPL Center for NEO Studies (CNEOS) and was pulled from the API
Geographic Data Attribution Geographic reference data used on this site is derived in part from GeoNames.org (CC BY 4.0), along with other public and manually curated sources. Data has been modified, classified, and augmented for fireball proximity and contextual reporting purposes.