- Major meteor strike (10kt+) in 2026?4¢4%
Extensive monitoring by NASA’s Sentry system and ESA’s risk lists shows no near-Earth objects with meaningful impact probability through the end of 2026, underpinning the 94.5% market-implied odds against a 10-kiloton-or-greater meteor strike. Ongoing sky surveys have cataloged thousands of NEOs this year, with all recent close approaches safely missing Earth by multiple lunar distances and predicted 2026 impacts limited to sub-10-meter objects that disintegrate harmlessly. Historical detection rates and model consensus indicate large, undetected impactors capable of 10 kt yields are exceedingly rare on annual timescales. Residual uncertainty stems from objects on very short observational arcs or potential non-gravitational perturbations, though follow-up observations typically retire such risks quickly.
Rules
This market will resolve to "Yes" if a natural meteoroid (bolide) explodes in Earth's atmosphere with a total impact energy greater than or equal to 10 kilotons of TNT equivalent between January 1 and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Otherwise, this market will resolve to “No”. The object must be classified as a natural meteoroid; events involving artificial objects or reentry vehicles do not qualify. The primary resolution source will be the NASA JPL Fireball and Bolide Data repository: https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/. The relevant field for determining impact energy is the “Impact Energy (kt)” column. If this dataset has not been updated to include all relevant dates by February 28, 2027, or if the NASA JPL Fireball and Bolide Data repository becomes permanently unavailable, this market may resolve based on a consensus of credible sources including the European Space Agency (ESA), the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), the U.S. Department of Defense, or credible reporting of a scientific consensus, such as a NASA press release.