Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are asteroids that have orbits that come close to Earth's orbit and are large enough to cause significant damage in the event of an impact. PHAs are defined as asteroids that have a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 astronomical units (AU) or less and an absolute magnitude (H) of 22.0 or brighter. The MOID is the distance between the closest points of the asteroid's orbit and Earth's orbit. PHAs are closely monitored by space agencies and observatories to determine their orbits and potential impact risks. If a PHA is found to have a high probability of impacting Earth, various methods can be employed to deflect or destroy the asteroid before it reaches our planet.
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