THE PLANETARY SOCIETY TAKES CENTRAL ROLE IN ASTEROID DETECTION, TRACKING, AND CHARACTERIZATION

NEO SHOEMAKER GRANTS MAKE HISTORICAL DISCOVERIES PROVIDING VITAL FUNDING TO INTERNATIONAL ASTEROID-TRACKING COMMUNITYPASADENA, CA /FLAGSTAFF, AZ (April 18, 2013) – At a major planetary defense conference in Flagstaff, AZ last evening, the Planetary Society announced the winners of its 2013 Shoemaker Near Earth Object (NEO) grants, and was recognized itself for the Society’s long history of international leadership in the detection and mitigation of threatening asteroids, and other planetary discoveries. “As the Chelyabinsk impact demonstrated, asteroid impacts happen; they are dangerous,