Asteroid

After Asteroid 2024 CK5 passed Earth by a close margin a few days ago, NASA has issued yet another asteroid warning. As many as four space rocks are approaching the planet at breakneck speeds and will fly past Earth closely tomorrow, February 22. While these asteroids can sometimes come even closer to Earth than the Moon, most of them do not pose any threat and pass by relatively safely. Still, the space agencies continue to monitor their orbits for any potential collision scenarios. Know all about the close encounter…

Recent research on Ryugu asteroid samples shows cometary organic matter was transported to Earth’s vicinity, offering insights into how life’s building blocks might have been delivered from space. (Artist’s concept). Credit: SciTechDaily.comRyugu, a near-Earth asteroid, captured widespread interest following the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission’s successful collection and return of samples to Earth. The retrieved samples have been a rich source of information about the solar system, shedding light on the potential contribution…

When the Chicxulub impactor, a six-mile-wide asteroid, struck Earth 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs had no warning.If an asteroid that size hit Earth today, a shock wave two million times more powerful than a hydrogen bomb would flatten forests and trigger tsunamis. A seismic pulse equal to a magnitude 10 earthquake would crumble cities.And long after the impact, a cloud of hot dust, ash, and steam would blot out the sun, plunging the Earth into freezing cold.But at least we'd probably know it was coming ahead of…

A view of eight sample trays containing the final material from asteroid Bennu. The dust and rocks were poured into the trays from the top plate of the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head. 51.2 grams were collected from this pour, bringing the final mass of asteroid sample to 121.6 grams. Credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph AebersoldNASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered an unprecedented 4.29 ounces of asteroid Bennu material to Earth, surpassing its mission goals. Despite initial challenges,…

NASA finally has counted up all the asteroid samples returned by a spacecraft last fall — and it's double the rubble return goal. Officials reported Thursday that the Osiris-Rex spacecraft collected 121.6 grams (4.29 ounces) of dust and pebbles from asteroid Bennu. That's just over half a cup and the biggest cosmic haul ever from beyond the moon.It took NASA longer than expected to pry open the sample container because of stuck fasteners. The black, carbon-rich samples — the first ever collected from an asteroid by NASA…

February 16, 20243 min readFragments from Asteroid 2024 BX1 have proven to be a rare meteorite type that helps reveal the early solar system's building blocksBy Robert Lea & SPACE.comA fragment of the Asteroid 2024 BX1 recovered in Germany is a rare class called Aubrite. Fragments of an asteroid that exploded over Germany on Jan. 21 and were recovered five days later have been confirmed to be a rare space rock type that could help shed light on Earth's origins.As Space.com initially reported on Feb. 1, scientists…

It was, Dante…

As many as 3 asteroids passed by Earth yesterday and all of them did so at breakneck speeds. Asteroids revolve around the Sun in their own orbits and are located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But sometimes, these space rocks interact with a large planet's gravitational field which can send them tumbling towards the planet for potential impact. Space agencies keep a check on the orbits of these space rocks to avoid a potential collision scenario. They have also developed technology to…

A view of eight sample trays containing the final material from asteroid Bennu.Photo: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph AebersoldAfter opening up that stubborn sample canister, NASA was finally able to weigh the full amount of asteroid bits snagged by its spacecraft more than three years ago. As it turns out, there is plenty of space rock that made its way to Earth.Denis Villeneuve Had a Blast Building the Dune LegoThe OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered a total of 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid Bennu,…

Data from a retired NASA spacecraft has helped scientists detect water on an asteroid’s surface for the first time ever. The discovery is highlighted in a new study featured in The Planetary Science Journal. The researchers involved say that discovery could help us learn more about how early planets formed.“Asteroids are leftovers from the planetary formation process,” SwRI’s Dr. Anicia Arredondo, the lead author of the new study, explained in a press release. “Their compositions vary depending on where they…