nasa asteroid strike

In a new development, NASA's Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), responsible for monitoring the skies and watching various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), has shed light on an asteroid that will pass Earth closely today, December 12. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has designated this space rock as Asteroid 2023 XO1. The space agency uses its advanced ground and space-based telescopes such as NEOWISE telescope, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Pans-STARRS1 and Catalina Sky Survey to…

An asteroid that was previously expected to strike Earth is now being deemed safe. However, it will come close enough to the planet in this decade, giving scientists a chance to study it. This asteroid is named 99942 Apophis and has been given the designation Asteroid 2004 MN4 by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. According to NASA, Asteroid 99942 Apophis asteroid will make an extremely close trip to Earth on April 13, 2029. On that day, this space rock will come as close as 38000 kilometers to Earth's surface.…

Stray asteroids and asteroid fragments have slammed into Earth in the past, playing a major role in altering the geological history of the planets and in the evolution of life on Earth, according to NASA. Therefore to remove uncertainty around the potential impact of these space rocks, NASA uses radar data collected by its various ground and space-based telescopes. Radar is a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring potential impact hazards. Scientists can learn a great deal about an asteroid's orbit, rotation, size,…

Earth has been bombarded with environmental phenomena such as solar storms, solar flares, and earthquakes while also witnessing countless asteroids pass by at close distances. These close approaches have served as a reminder of the threat posed by these space rocks and highlighted the importance of tracking and studying them. Apart from keeping a check on asteroid impacts, scientists also study asteroids to gain insight into the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming. Asteroids…

NASA uses telescopes, such as Pans-STARRS1 in Maui, Hawaii, and Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, to detect near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets. To collect accurate information about an asteroid's trajectory and attributes, it employs its ground-based radar. While these space rocks are far-off in space, NASA tech helps to observe and track them for any potential danger. NASA's space-based observatory, NEOWISE, has also identified hundreds of asteroids by scanning the skies with near-infrared wavelengths…

Did you know that scientists study asteroids to learn more about the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming? Asteroids can also provide valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals. One such discovery was made by studying an asteroid. Until now, it was believed that water was already present on Earth from the earliest times. However, a recent study has made an astonishing discovery that puts this very thought into doubt. The study has revealed that water may have…

Since the turn of the year, Earth has been bombarded with several environmental phenomena such as solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and earthquakes. But these aren't the only threats. Asteroids, on a daily basis, make close approaches to Earth, making it necessary to track and study them for potential impact. To do this, NASA telescopes such as the Pans-STARRS1 located in Maui, Hawaii, and the Catalina Sky Survey situated near Tucson, Arizona conduct surveys that have detected numerous near-Earth objects like asteroids.…

Every day, asteroids come close to Earth, but how is it possible to observe and track these space rocks which are millions of kilometers away in space? NASA uses telescopes, such as Pans-STARRS1 in Maui, Hawaii, and Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, to detect near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets. Additionally, NEOWISE, NASA's space-based observatory, has identified hundreds of asteroids by scanning the skies with near-infrared wavelengths of light from its orbit around Earth's poles.To collect accurate…

Although asteroids are in elliptical orbits far out in space, these rocks also rotate, sometimes quite erratically in their orbit. Interaction with the gravitational field of a planet can cause asteroids to deviate from their trajectory and impact a planet like Earth. These space rocks are usually made up of rocks, but they can also be made of metals such as nickel and iron, or even clay. The increasing proximity of asteroids to Earth makes it imperative for space agencies to continuously monitor them.In response to an…

Over the last few years, there have been several instances where asteroids have come very close to our planet, posing a significant potential threat. One of the earliest known asteroid impacts on Earth is around 4.5 billion years old. That was when a massive object called Theia, about the size of Mars, collided with Earth and resulted in the formation of the Moon. Another asteroid crashed in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico nearly 65 million years ago, and it wiped out the dinosaurs. The most recent asteroid impact…