NASA is going to fire a spacecraft at an asteroid to change its course

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(NEXSTAR) — Space is, of course, full of asteroids and comets. Those that orbit in our solar system are known as near-Earth objects, or NEOs. Some may pose a future risk to Earth, but NASA is prepared to protect us, and you’ll be able to see proof of that Monday.

First, it’s important to understand NEOs. They’re defined as objects that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit, and most are larger than a small football stadium. Six years ago, NASA started the Planetary Defense Coordination Office to find NEOs, warn of their close approaches, coordinate an action plan, and mitigate any potential impacts.

On Monday, the PDCO will make its first-ever attempt to change the path of an asteroid using a kinetic impact during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).

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