Tag

Asteroid

All articles tagged with #asteroid

space3 days ago•14 min saved

Psyche: a metal-rich asteroid reshaping planetary science

Asteroid 16 Psyche, about 225 km wide in the main belt, may contain large amounts of iron and nickel, prompting a back‑of‑the‑envelope figure of around $10 quintillion that is more a scale marker than a mining forecast. NASA’s Psyche mission (launched 2023) will map its composition and structure to understand whether it’s a remnant planetary core or a mixed rock-metal body, shedding light on planetary formation rather than turning Psyche into a market resource.

via Space Daily|

#asteroid #iron #nasa

space3 days ago•104 min saved

Chinese study outlines two nuclear routes to divert an Earth-bound asteroid

A peer‑reviewed Chinese study proposes two nuclear‑detonation approaches to stop a threatening asteroid: a shallow-crater detonation and a deeper, pre‑excavation detonation. Modeling suggests that, with ample warning time, the deep‑crater method could couple more energy and impart about a 1 m/s velocity change to a roughly 100‑meter asteroid within about 60 days, potentially pushing it off a collision course; the shallow method could be deployed faster but offers weaker energy transfer and more stringent timing. The researchers note many real‑world challenges remain—asteroid composition, debris risks, weapon delivery, and other logistical issues—though NASA’s DART mission shows that deflection is feasible in principle.

via Space|

#asteroid #defense #deflection

space4 days ago•0 min saved

China unveils image of asteroid possibly Earth's quasi-moon ahead of sample return

China released the first image of an asteroid some astronomers say could be a fragment from the Moon, and the Tianwen-2 mission is planned to collect a sample and return it to Earth.

via NBC News|

#asteroid #china #quasi-moon

space4 days ago•11 min saved

Apophis 2029: Naked-eye asteroid flyby that will skim Earth

A 375-meter asteroid named Apophis will pass about 31,600 kilometers from Earth on 13 April 2029, closer than geostationary satellites and bright enough to be seen with the naked eye by up to two billion people across Europe, Africa and western Asia. It's a safe flyby with no collision risk for at least a century, and space agencies plan missions OSIRIS-APEX and Ramses to study the encounter and improve understanding of asteroid structure and planetary defence.

via Space Daily|

#apophis #asteroid #flyby

space5 days ago•103 min saved

Apophis 2029: a global naked-eye sky show with a safe flyby

Astronomers predict the near‑Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass by Earth on April 13, 2029, and be visible to the naked eye for about seven hours as it travels from Australia to the North Atlantic; at closest approach it will be roughly 19,700 miles above Earth and should be brightest near Cameroon. NASA says there is no impact risk for 2029 or the next century, making this a safe, rare opportunity to study how Earth's gravity affects an asteroid—potentially triggering landslides or exposing pristine material, though the exact outcome is unknown. Visibility depends on weather and light pollution, but estimates suggest billions could see it in principle.

via Space|

#apophis #asteroid #near-earth-object

space5 days ago•1 min saved

Hayabusa2 completes Torifune asteroid flyby, on track to 2031 target

Japan's Hayabusa2 completed a high-speed flyby of the Torifune asteroid as part of its Extended Mission, with data confirming success and potential image release; the probe continues toward its final target in 2031 and aims to advance close-approach technology for planetary defense.

via nhk.or.jp|

#asteroid #hayabusa2 #jaxa

science-and-tech7 days ago•25 min saved

Could We Spot a Doomsday Asteroid Before It Strikes?

The article asks if humanity could detect an extinction-level asteroid before impact, using the dinosaurs’ 10 km carbonaceous impactor as a case study. It explains that warning time depends on the object’s origin, speed (~21 km/s), and whether it brightens from outgassing; best-case scenarios could offer weeks to a month of naked-eye visibility if the body comes from the night side and becomes bright, but more typical cases might yield only days or hours, or no warning at all if it’s sun-ward or depleted of volatiles. It also highlights how albedo and orbital geometry affect detectability, and stresses the need for planetary defense to gain decades of lead time for meaningful intervention.

via Big Think|

#albedo #asteroid #chicxulub

space-exploration12 days ago•125 min saved

Hayabusa2 to skim Torifune from a room-temperature: ultra-close asteroid flyby on tap

Japan’s Hayabusa2, on an extended mission after Ryugu, will perform one of the closest asteroid flybys by a mission of its class, approaching Torifune to within about 1 kilometer at ~5.3 km/s on July 5 to study its shape and properties and test rapid reconnaissance for planetary defense—with a long-term aim to visit the tiny asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, potentially landing there.

via Space|

#1998-ky26 #asteroid #hayabusa2

space13 days ago•95 min saved

Skyscraper-sized asteroid to skim Earth in two online livestreams

A giant asteroid about 440 meters across (152637 1997 NC1) will pass Earth at roughly 1.59 million miles away on June 27, with closest approach around 7:16 a.m. EDT (1116 GMT) and traveling about 19,879 mph. NASA classifies it as a potentially hazardous asteroid, though this flyby poses no risk. The Virtual Telescope Project will host two YouTube livestreams starting at 7 p.m. EDT on June 26 and 27 to show the asteroid using robotic telescopes in Manciano, Italy, weather permitting, offering skywatchers with small telescopes a chance to spot the object as it moves through the constellation Ophiuchus.

via Space|

#1997-nc1 #asteroid #live-livestream

science14 days ago•5 min saved

Eyes on the Sky: Spot the 1997 NC1 Near-Earth Flyby This Weekend

ESA says asteroid 1997 NC1 will make its closest approach to Earth in 400 years this weekend, passing about 2.56 million kilometers away on June 27. It poses no risk but will be visible only through a telescope or large binoculars (brightness near magnitude 10). Observers worldwide can track it with astronomy apps and the Virtual Telescope Project livestreams (June 26–27); best viewing times vary by location, with the path near Ophiuchus and Serpens Cauda.

via WIRED|

#1997-nc1 #asteroid #astronomy

canada-science14 days ago•17 min saved

Canada to spot a 1.65-km asteroid during its closest approach since the 1600s

A roughly 1.65-kilometre asteroid (1997 NC1) will pass Earth on June 27 at about 2.5–2.6 million kilometres away—the closest approach since the 1600s—and may be visible from parts of Canada with a small telescope. The CSA says the flyby poses no risk; such events offer scientists a chance to study the asteroid’s size, shape and orbit, with NASA noting the next close approach isn’t until 2133.

via Global News|

#1997-nc1 #asteroid #canada-science

space16 days ago•4 min saved

Kilometer-Sized Asteroid to Pass Safely by Earth This Weekend

A near-Earth object roughly a kilometer across, officially designated 1997 NC1 (also named 152637), will pass by Earth on June 27 in what scientists describe as a safe, close approach. While headlines may suggest danger, current calculations show no impact risk for at least the next century, and such passes help researchers refine asteroid tracking and defense techniques.

via WRAL|

#1997-nc1 #asteroid #nasa

science21 days ago•11 min saved

Tunguska 1908: a sky-borne blast that flattened forests without a crater

A 1908 explosion over remote Siberia flattened about 2,000 square kilometres of forest—an estimated 10–15 megatons of energy—yet produced no ground crater. Scientists now favor an airburst: a small asteroid (roughly 50–60 metres) disintegrated high in the atmosphere, ejecting energy into the air rather than the ground. While Lake Cheko’s crater hypothesis has been largely rejected, Tunguska remains the largest known airburst and a key reminder that near-Earth objects can devastate large areas without leaving a crater; it also underpins ongoing asteroid monitoring and risk awareness.

via Space Daily|

#airburst #asteroid #crater

space23 days ago•13 min saved

67-meter asteroid LN6 set to skim past Earth on the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s yahrzeit

NASA’s asteroid tracker says 2003 LN6, about 67 meters in diameter, will pass Earth at a distance of a little over 1.4 million kilometers on June 18, 2026—the yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It’s a monitored near‑Earth object posing no danger, with planetary-defense context (including the DART mission) noted to illustrate how scientists protect the planet.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#2003-ln6 #asteroid #lubavitcher-rebbe

science1 month ago•36 min saved

Approaching 'Asteroid' Might Be Abandoned Spacecraft, Paper Claims

A new paper argues that the object a Japanese-led probe is approaching, long described as an asteroid, may actually be a derelict spacecraft, a claim that could rewrite theories about its origin and composition pending further observational confirmation.

via Yahoo|

#asteroid #astronomy #derelict-spacecraft