Astronomers Just Found a Sneaky Asteroid Near the Sun—and It Highlights a Dangerous Blind Spot

Millions of asteroids are currently zipping through our solar system. These rocky remnants of the early solar system receive extra attention when their itinerary brings them too close to Earth—which, fortunately, astronomers can usually track in advance. But what happens if they can’t?

This could easily be the case for so-called “twilight” asteroids, whose position behind the glare of the Sun makes it tricky for astronomers to detect and track. If that wasn’t unsettling enough, the…