The state-of-the-art asteroid alert system operated by the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) can now scan the entire dark sky every 24 hours for dangerous bodies that could plummet toward Earth. The NASA-funded system has expanded its reach with two additional telescopes in South Africa and Chile.
Named ATLAS, this system is aimed at providing data on possible asteroid collisions with the Earth. It’s formed of four telescopes, two in the American continent to observe the northern-hemisphere -in the islands of Hale akala (Maui) and Mauna Loa (Hawaii)- and two for the southern hemisphere, in South Africa and Chile.
