A fascinating colour-coded video illustrates how we have become increasingly aware of the number of asteroids flying close to Earth as telescopes improve.

The footage shows the discovery of every new asteroid over the past three decades and charts it on an increasingly congested map of the solar system.

Created by British astronomer Scott Manley, the three-minute clip - which is the equivalent of two months per second - starts with a sprinkling of white 'dust' around the edge of the planets. [ DAILYMAIL UK ]