This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor.

This is CBS, I on the World. I'm John Batchel. Hotel Mars, Episode N. David Livingston,

Dr. Space himself of the space show is here as my colleague and co-host and co-pilot.

And we welcome Richard Binzel, Professor of Planetary Science,

Joint Professor of Aerospace Engineering and McVickr Faculty Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, importantly for our discussion about

asteroids, near-earth, objects, and what can go wrong. The professor is the science collaborator

on the Osiris Apex mission now underway. That is the Osiris probe to join up with Apophis in the distant future

29 and watch a near-Earth object that requires attention because someday, for reasons that are yet

to be determined, it could be on a collision course with planet Earth.

Professor, it's a great joy to welcome you to the show. Thank you very much.

You are attending soon enough at Tokyo University a gathering of those interested in Apophis and near-Earth objects in general.

I understand that you started this

before the pandemic, a countdown from nine years. You're now a countdown of four years or five

years, depending on my subtraction. What is the mission of this gathering each year, sometimes

virtually and this time in person.

What is you, what do you accomplish?

Good evening, professor.

Good evening.

John, it's great to be here.

As scientists, we're very interested in asteroids from where they come from, what they tell us about our planet

Earth and our solar system. But there's a practical side to their study, and that is making

sure that the Earth is safe from impacts, because asteroid impacts do happen over very long time

...