An asteroid entered the sky above Toronto this month. This asteroid was notable because it was one of the first few asteroids to hit Earth and it was harmless.
The Catalina Sky Survey used a telescope at the Catalina Station to find the asteroid. It was spotted around four hours before it was going to hit Earth, making it the sixth asteroid to be spotted before hitting Earth. The Minor Planet Center brings together international data on near-Earth objects and coordinates follow-up observations.
Being able to detect and warn others about asteroids is an important step in sharpening Earth's planetary defense strategies.
Kelly Fast, Near-Earth Object Observations program manager for the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, said in a statement that the planetary defense community really demonstrated their skill and readiness. NASA's planetary defense systems are able to inform the response to the potential for a serious impact by a larger object because of harmless impacts.
The test of the DART spacecraft, which crashed into an asteroid, has raised interest in planetary defense.
The other half of the problem is spotting potentially hazardous asteroids and redirecting them. It would take years of advanced notice for these to be identified in time for DART to be sent. Upcoming programs will try to spot these objects before they get to Earth.
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