Recently, asteroids have made headlines due to their close approaches to Earth, raising concerns about potential impacts. For example, in 2020, asteroid 2020 QG passed within 1,830 miles of Earth, setting a record for the closest known asteroid to fly past our planet without impacting it. Additionally, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collected samples from the asteroid Bennu in 2020, with plans to return them to Earth in 2023.
Asteroids are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of the solar system. They vary in size from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but they can also be present in other regions of the solar system. These celestial bodies can be composed of various materials, including rock, metal, and organic compounds. Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the history of the solar system and the potential threats they may pose to Earth.