In a new study, scientists have identified the countries that are most likely to be worst hit by the catastrophic damage caused by asteroids.Research from the University of Southhampton have identified for the first time those which will suffer catastrophic loss of life or be so crippled it will be almost impossible for them to recover.The top ten countries most at risk are: China, Indonesia, India, Japan, the U.S, the Philippines, Italy, the ... more NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer has sampled 107 "potentially hazardous" asteroids near Earth - 330ft wide or larger - to make estimates about how many are out there - and the figure is a terrifying 47,000.The WISE survey now estimates there are 47,000 "potentially hazardous" asteroids.The PHAs (potentially hazardous asteroids) have the closest orbits to Earth's, coming within five million miles and they are big enough to survive ... more The little asteroid 2012 KA passed near Earth on May 17 before heading back out into space. Credit: JPL The new results come from the asteroid-hunting portion of the WISE mission, called NEOWISE.The project sampled 107 PHAs to make predictions about the entire population as a whole. The telescope on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, is shown here with the aperture cover removed. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Dynamics Lab Findings indicate there are roughly 4,700 PHAs, plus or minus 1,500, with diameters larger than 330 feet. So far, an estimated 20 to 30 percent of these objects have been found.Scientists have also drawn up a league table of the countries which will be worst affected in the event of an asteroid strike.