Major collisions are exceedingly rare, but are capable of causing global catastrophes. So scientists are using state-of-the-art technology to track all near-Earth asteroids. Find out how they calculate the probability of a collision, how future impacts might be mitigated, and what impact craters and specimens tell us. Meteorites like the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid fragment that was recently added to the Museum's collection provide important clues about the early stages of our solar system.
Support for the development of Science Topics was generously provided by Sidney and Helaine Lerner, GRACE Communications Foundation.