We Asked a NASA Scientist: Will an Asteroid Ever Hit Earth? [Video]

Will an asteroid ever hit Earth? There are no known impact threats, but tiny meteors burn up in Earth’s atmosphere all the time! NASA asteroid expert Dr. Kelly Fast tells us more.

Will an Asteroid Ever Hit Earth?

We Asked a NASA Scientist.

Video Transcript:

Yes, asteroids have hit Earth over the course of its history and it will happen again.

Dust, meteoroids, even small asteroids hit Earth all the time and they create those meteors or shooting stars that you see as they disintegrate in the atmosphere.

But impacts of asteroids that affect the surface are much rarer. They happen on time scales of hundreds to thousands to millions of years.

Since the larger they are, the fewer there are but also less difficult to find.

Finding them early is important for advanced warning and to mitigate against potential future impact threats.

We Asked a NASA Expert Video Series

• Why is Venus Called Earth’s Evil Twin?
• Is NASA Really Crashing a Spacecraft Into an Asteroid?
• Is NASA Aware of Any Earth-Threatening Asteroids?
• When Was the Last Time an Asteroid Hit Earth?
• How Did Perseverance Mars Rover Pick Its Landing Spot?
• What if an Asteroid Was Going To Hit Earth?
• Did Mars Ever Look Like Earth?
• What Are Lagrange Points?
• What Are the Trojan Asteroids?
• Is There Oxygen on Mars?
• Does NASA Know About All the Asteroids?
• Do Aliens Exist?
• Is There Weather on Mars?
• Will an Asteroid Ever Hit Earth?
• Is Mars Habitable?
• Could Microbes Survive a Trip to Mars?

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