Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Illustrations vii
4. Preface to the Paperback Edition xi
5. Preface xv
6. Acknowledgments xvii
7. Chapter 1. Earth’s Closest Neighbors 1
8. Chapter 2. The Solar System’s Origin 15
9. Chapter 3. How and Where Do Near-Earth Objects Form? 29
10. Chapter 4. Near-Earth Objects as the Enablers and Destroyers of Life 47
11. Chapter 5. Discovering and Tracking Near-Earth Objects 57
12. Chapter 6. The Nature of Asteroids and Comets 79
13. Chapter 7. Nature’s Natural Resources and the Human Exploration of Our Solar System 100
14. Chapter 8. Near-Earth Objects as Threats to Earth 109
15. Chapter 9. Predicting the Likelihood of an Earth Impact 125
16. Chapter 10. Deflecting an Earth-Threatening Near-Earth Object 140
17. References 155
18. Index of Asteroid and Cometary Objects 159
19. General Index 161