Source: 'Tunguska'-Size Asteroid Makes Surprise Flyby of Earth An asteroid similar in size to one that exploded more than 100 years ago in Russia's Tunguska region in Siberia gave Earth a close shave on Sunday (April 15), just one day after astronomers discovered the object. The asteroid, designated 2018 GE3, made its closest approach to Earth at around 2:41 a.m. EDT (0641 GMT), whizzing by at a distance of 119,400 miles (192,000 kilometers), or about half the average distance between Earth and the moon, according to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies(CNEOS). . . . This type of late detection does not bode well. Bob Wilson
I see two problems. Global spending on NEO detection is somewhere in $10 to 20 millions per year. Obviously could do more with 10x more money but from where? Maybe a better-aimed Chelyabinsk can elevate discussions. Regardless of earthbound observational effort a substantial fraction of sky is 'whited-out'. Unobservable. Thanks, Sun. Hardware at Lagrange 4 or 5 would help but 10x more money would not cover that.
