The Spaceguard Centre is the National Near-Earth Objects Information Centre (NNEOIC) based in the UK. It serves as a public education and research facility focused on the detection and study of asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth.
In the last decade or so, it has become apparent that asteroid and comet impacts have had a significant role in the development of our planet and the evolution of life on Earth. Natural Science is experiencing a revolution in thinking, similar to what happened after the publication of Charles Darwin’s work "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection".
With this new understanding comes the realisation that there is no reason to believe such impacts will not happen again. The possibility that a major impact could severely disrupt or even destroy our current way of life on a global scale is one requiring serious consideration.
The Spaceguard Centre works closely with international organizations to improve planetary defence and to provide information to the public, media, and researchers
NEO detection & monitoring
The Spaceguard Project is part of a broader global initiative aimed at identifying and tracking NEOs. It originated from concerns raised in the 1990's about the lack of coordinated global efforts to detect potentially hazardous objects on a collision course with Earth.
Since then, various observatories, space agencies, and research groups have contributed to developing early-warning systems and impact mitigation strategies. The Spaceguard Project supports global collaboration in asteroid detection and deflection research.