Our Mission
IAWN was established (2013) as a result of the UN-endorsed recommendations for an international response to a potential NEO impact threat, to create an international group of organizations involved in detecting, tracking, and characterizing NEOs. The IAWN is tasked with developing a strategy using well-defined communication plans and protocols to assist Governments in the analysis of asteroid impact consequences and in the planning of mitigation responses.
Currently, IAWN includes members from all over the world!
Recent Signatories
- Iota Scorpii Astronomical Observatory (K78), of La Spezia, Italy
- Kleť Observatory, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- The University of Western Australia (Zadko Telescope, D20), Crawley, WA, Australia
- PASTIS Observatory (K19), Saint-Louis, France
- Mind's Eye Observatory (W42), Florida, USA
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- University of New South Wales Canberra, Australia
- Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Virtual Telescope Project (M50), Gianluca Masi, Italy
- Kysucká Observatory (G02), Kysucké Nové Mesto, Slovakia
Planetary Defense

Near-Earth Asteroid 2023 BU: 26 Jan. 2023
Credit: Gianluca Masi, The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0
2023 BU: A record close-approaching small asteroid
(Jan 2023) On January 21, Gennady Borisov (discoverer of interstellar comet 2/I) discovered a small asteroid rapidly approaching the Earth. He promptly reported the object to the Minor Planet Center for posting on the Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page. After extensive follow-up observations and analysis ...
Read More: NEO News
Close Approaches
Asteriod designation: 2023 VA
Discovery station: Steward Observatory, Mt. Lemmon Station
Close approach date (UTC): 2023 11 02.23
Close approach distance (× lunar distance): 0.07
Discovery announcement
Latest orbit & observations