graphic that reads "Project Spacewatch"
illustration of a cartoon asteroid with a worried look on its face

There are more than a million asteroids in the Solar System.   These rocky bodies orbit our Sun like little planets. Some are tiny, smaller than a school bus. Others are bigger, as wide as the state of Minnesota. 

Very occasionally, one of them gets nudged off course by the gravity of nearby planets and heads toward Earth. So scientists around the world keep an eye on the skies by tracking asteroid orbits. They also do experiments to make sure they could stop an asteroid from ramming into Earth.

Students, backyard astronomers, and sky enthusiasts help scientists watch for asteroids.

Photo of young girl with curly brown hair analyzing a chart

Alexandra Palocz is one of these sky watchers. After eleventh grade, she spent the summer at the Etscorn Campus Observatory at New Mexico Tech doing real science. The air is clear there, and the nights are dark, which makes it a good place for telescopes.

Image of a large telescope glowing red at night

At the observatory Alexandra helped track asteroids crossing our sky. She designed this game to share her experience and to inspire other kids to get involved in science.

Credits

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Image Credits:

all illustrations, Zack Faust/© AMNH; CG asteroid field, Pond5/ZRmedia/1075669; Alexandra at work, Aaron Lewis; observatory, New Mexico Tech.

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