Sixty-five million years ago, a gigantic asteroid collided with Earth. The resulting dust clouds and fire storm blotted out the sunlight, destroying much of the animal, plant, and fish life - most notably, the dinosaurs. What would happen if another giant asteroid found itself on a collision course with Earth?

This is the most comprehensive current book for general readers to address the threats and potential benefits of asteroids. Space experts Cox and Chestek explain the major differences between comets and asteroids and describe what might happen should the Earth suffer a collision with either one of them, a distinct future possibility.