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 Europe, Asia, South and North America.
Observers Twitter feed
Tweets from some of our observing signatories and other active asteroid observers.
A Twitter List by SBNarchiveSignatories Twitter feed
Tweets from some of our institutional signatories (may have non-asteroid news as well).
A Twitter List by SBNarchiveLatest from IAWN
Example asteroid orbit
Courtesy: JPL Small-Body Database Browse
Understanding Orbital Uncertainties in the Context of Impact Predictions
(Apr 2021) I: Introduction to Elliptical Orbits
First in a series of articles detailing the concept of orbital uncertainties as it relates to impact predictions. Celestial mechanics can be a complicated subject, but here we'll try to distill some of these difficulties and render the subject a bit more transparent.
Read More: Introduction to Elliptical Orbits
Community Announcement
Planetary Defense Conference 2021
The 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference in 2021 is being hosted by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and will take place April 26-30, 2021.
Read More: Conference Webpage
Close Approaches
Asteriod designation: 2021 GW4
Discovery station: Mt. Lemmon Survey
Close approach date (UTC): 2021 04 12.54
Close approach distance (× lunar distance): 0.07
Discovery announcement
Latest orbit & observations