Astrophysicist Mansi Manoj Kasliwal, whose work has been key to understanding the changing infrared sky, is guiding Palomar Observatory into its next chapter.
An asteroid recently made the second closest pass to Earth ever observed on October 1st. And astronomers only found it after it had already completed its closest approach. That offers another lesson in how difficult it is to find small objects coming close to our planet in the vast dark ocean of space.

