This is for Astronomy help pls Does an asteroid need to hit the Earth to do damage? Why or why not?

Yes, in order to do the damage an asteroid needs to hit the earth as just entering into earth's atmosphere wouldn't cause any major casuality. With an asteroid hitting the Earth; dust and smoke rising in the atmosphere prevents sunlight from reaching our world and causes the total temperature to drop. This event can lead to the death of many living things. If an asteroid the size of an apartment hits Earth, this blow could possibly destroy a small city.

Hope it helps :)