Interactive Asteroid Impact Risk Visualization

About This Visualization

This interactive 3D scatter plot shows the relationship between asteroid velocity, magnitude, and impact probability. The marker size represents the asteroid's diameter.

You can rotate, zoom, and pan the visualization using your mouse to explore different perspectives of the data.

Understanding Impact Risk Factors

Three key factors represented in this visualization contribute to asteroid impact risk assessment:

• Asteroid Velocity (X-axis): The speed at which an asteroid is traveling affects the energy of potential impact. Higher velocity impacts release more energy.
• Asteroid Magnitude (Y-axis): A measure of the asteroid's brightness, which correlates with its size and reflectivity.
• Impact Probability (Z-axis): Shown on a logarithmic scale to better visualize the wide range of probabilities.
• Asteroid Diameter: Represented by the size of each point, larger asteroids pose greater threats upon impact.

Impact Risk Assessment

Understanding the relationship between these properties helps scientists evaluate the potential hazards posed by near-Earth asteroids. NASA, ESA, and other space agencies use this data to prioritize monitoring efforts and develop potential mitigation strategies for objects with higher impact probabilities.

This visualization demonstrates how asteroid physical properties correlate with impact probabilities, providing insights into which characteristics might make certain asteroids more concerning from a planetary defense perspective.