Shown above is an artist rendering of Asteroid 2019 OK. This errant asteroid is estimated to be about 187-427 feet in size and is moving at around 55,000 miles per hour. What makes it sepcial is that it zipped by us at about 1/5 the distance between the the Earth and the Moon and did so without warning. While it did not pose an extinction-level threat to life, it is something that astronomers like to classify as a “city-killer asteroid”.

Earth defense is a serious threat our world. While the type of collision that killed the dinosaurs is unlikely— it is still possible. Help raise awareness with our KickAsteroid collection from The Planetary Society, including sticker sets, pins, patches and a print that highlights four historic impacts and three types of missions to stop a killer in its path. While you are at it, why not also support the Society’s Earth Defense Program.