NASA established CNEOS in 1998 and in 2005, Congress tasked them with locating 90% of all objects (460 feet or larger) that are close to or approaching the Earth.
CNEOS has located around 19,000 near-Earth objects and continues to track them in space. These often rocky masses are big enough to cause damage to the planet, potentially destabilize the atmosphere, and affect crop production.
They confirm their sightings with telescopes and astronomers around the globe. Telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope allows scientists and researchers to discern minute details.
Dr. Masi and the Virtual Telescope Project
The Virtual Telescope Project is an online service provided by the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy and managed by Dr. Gianluca Masi, Ph.D. National Coordinator for Astronomers Without Borders in Italy.
The use of several real-time robotic telescopes, remotely-accessed online, allows people all over the world to gain a close-up view of the sky. And observe the planets and asteroids that astronomers and scientists view all the time.
