TED: Adventures of an asteroid hunter | Carrie Nugent

The video discusses the ancient origins of asteroids, their role as cosmic neighbors, and the efforts to map and catalog them, primarily funded by NASA. It highlights the potential threats posed by asteroids, citing past impacts like the Chelyabinsk event and the extinction of dinosaurs. The NEOWISE telescope, initially designed for other purposes, has been repurposed to discover asteroids, using its infrared capabilities to detect even the darkest ones. The video emphasizes the importance of continued efforts to detect and prevent potential asteroid impacts, highlighting humanity's unique ability to predict and avert such threats.

What is the significance of the rusty lump of nickel and iron mentioned in the text?

What role does NASA play in the search for near-Earth asteroids?

How do scientists predict the paths of asteroids?

What was the size of the asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia?

What was the impact of the asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago?

What is the purpose of the NEOWISE telescope?

Why is it important to continue searching for near-Earth asteroids?