Asteroid 2024 YR4 was Earth’s first real-life defense test

At this point in history, astronomers and engineers who grew up watching “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon,” two movies about the destructive power of asteroid impacts, are likely in relatively high ranking positions at space agencies. “Don’t Look Up” also provided a more modern, though more pessimistic (or, unfortunately, realistic?), look at what might potentially happen if a “killer” asteroid is found on approach to Earth.