Near-Earth Objects 291
FIGURE 9 The Torino scale was
designed for the press and public to
assess the hazard of a discovered
NEO.space, then there is a 1 in 10,000 chance of an impact with
the Earth. Even though headlines may proclaim the end of
the world, statistically speaking, the odds are actually 10,000
to 1 in our favor that continued observations refining the
orbit will show a collision is ultimately ruled out. Thus, daily
activities should continue unchanged. Working with many
colleagues, one of us (RPB) has developed the 10 point
Torino scale (Fig. 9) to help the media and the public assess
whether any NEO discovery merits public concern or re-
sponse. Indeed, continued observations have ruled out any
substantial threat from all previous headline makers. There
are currently two objects with a rating of 1 meriting careful
monitoring, according to the Near Earth Object Program
posting at http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov. The value of the searches
is to change our knowledge from probably being safe to be-
ing highly certain about any threat from impacts for many
generations.4.2 How Many?
It is difficult to quote the definitive size of the near-Earth
object population. Search programs are constantly adding to