Tag

Asteroid

All articles tagged with #asteroid

space1 day ago•4 min saved

Mars Flyby Calibrates NASA’s Psyche Mission Aiming at a Distant Asteroid

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft used a Mars gravity assist to boost its trajectory toward the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche while calibrating its cameras and instruments, capturing Mars images and testing data-processing tools. The flyby brought it within about 4,609 kilometers (2,864 miles) of Mars and increased speed to roughly 1,600 kilometers per hour (994 mph), keeping the mission on track to reach Psyche in 2029 to map the asteroid and gain insights into Earth's interior.

via WIRED|

#asteroid #mars #nasa

science1 day ago•13 min saved

The Tunguska Mystery: The 1908 Airburst That Flattened a Forest Without a Crater

In 1908 a space object exploded over Siberia in an airburst, releasing roughly 10–15 megatons of energy and flattening about 80 million trees across 830 square miles, with no crater and a ring of standing trees at the center. Scientists still debate whether it was a stony asteroid or a comet; the asteroid answer fits the ground damage while the comet explanation could account for the eerie skyglow seen across Europe. No fragment has ever been found, and the event helped spur modern planetary defense efforts, including NASA’s DART mission.

via Space Daily|

#airburst #asteroid #comet

science6 days ago•2 min saved

Near-Earth Rock Slips Through Detection Door Before Close Flyby

An asteroid the size of a blue whale will pass about 56,500 miles from Earth tonight (roughly 24% of the Earth–Moon distance), but it wasn’t discovered until roughly a week ago because key radar facilities are down after Arecibo’s collapse and ongoing Goldstone repairs; only about 1% of Earth-skimming asteroids this size get flagged, even as surveys like Vera Rubin Observatory discover thousands of new objects, highlighting gaps in our planetary defense.

via Nautilus | Science|

#asteroid #near-earth-object #radar

science6 days ago•41 min saved

Bus-Sized asteroid to skim past Earth in rare near-miss

Astronomers detected a bus-sized asteroid days ago that will pass by Earth in a near-miss. Trajectory calculations indicate no impact risk, and the event highlights ongoing efforts to track small near-Earth objects with ground-based telescopes and other observations.

via Yahoo|

#asteroid #astronomy #nasa

space8 days ago•3 min saved

62-foot asteroid to skim Earth closer than the Moon

An approximately 62-foot asteroid named 2026 JH2 will pass about 57,000 miles from Earth—closer than the Moon—around 6 p.m. ET Monday. It was discovered May 10 by the Mount Lemmon Survey and may be visible with small telescopes, but it poses no threat to Earth. NASA/ESA are tracking the flyby, and the Virtual Telescope Project will stream it online. The article also notes a much larger asteroid, Apophis, approaching Earth in 2029 and mentions the OSIRIS-APEX mission and potential budget cuts affecting NASA’s plans.

via NBC News|

#2026-jh2 #asteroid #close-approach

science8 days ago•183 min saved

Bus-sized asteroid to skim by Earth in a safe, close pass

An Apollo-class near-Earth asteroid about 15–30 meters across, named 2026JH2, will pass Earth on Monday at roughly 91,593 km (56,913 miles) — about a quarter the Earth–Moon distance — with no danger expected. Size estimates are uncertain because measurements rely on reflected light and radar data are limited after the Arecibo Telescope collapsed; a livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project will monitor the flyby. Such small asteroids edge near Earth several times a year as surveys improve, and a larger object, Apophis, is set to pass closer in 2029.

via CNN|

#2026jh2 #asteroid #astronomy

space10 days ago•59 min saved

Blue-whale-sized asteroid to skim past Earth Monday — watch it live

A near-Earth asteroid called 2026 JH2, up to 115 feet (35 meters) wide, will pass about 56,000 miles from Earth on Monday, May 18, around 6 p.m. Eastern time—closer than many satellites. Discovered May 10 at Mount Lemmon Observatory, it orbits the Sun roughly every 3.7 years. It should reach about magnitude 11.5, making it visible with a decent telescope; a livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project will let viewers watch the flyby without special gear, and there is no chance of impact.

via Live Science|

#2026jh2 #asteroid #livestream

science14 days ago•5 min saved

Dante’s Inferno Reframed as an Ancient Planet-Scale Impact

New research led by Timothy Burbery suggests Dante Alighieri’s Inferno may describe a planetary-scale asteroid impact centuries before modern meteoritics, portraying Satan as a high‑velocity impactor that could bend Earth’s crust to form Hell’s rings and a central Mount Purgatory on the opposite side. The study likens these features to real crater-forming processes, such as multi‑ring basins exemplified by large impacts like Chicxulub, and argues that ancient mythologies can encode early observations of cosmic threats, bridging literature and planetary geology in its interpretation of Dante’s cosmology.

via ScienceDaily|

#asteroid #crater #dante

space20 days ago•11 min saved

Asteroid-guided shortcut could slash Mars missions to 153 days

Astronomers identified a rapid-transfer corridor using asteroid 2001 CA21 that could reduce Mars missions from seven-to-ten months to as little as 153 days, by aligning Earth–Mars opposition with the asteroid’s orbit and revealing two viable routes (153-day rapid path and 226-day feasible path) for future missions.

via The Independent|

#asteroid #interplanetary-travel #mars

science22 days ago•32 min saved

Dinosaur-Extinction Meteor Could Have Triggered a 2.8-Mile Megatsunami

New analysis of the asteroid impact thatended the dinosaurs suggests it also spawned a megatsunami far larger than once thought: an initial wave about 1.5 km (0.93 miles) high, with later tsunamis 50–150 meters tall; in deeper waters, estimates rise to roughly 4.6 km (2.8 miles). The event dumped about 48,000 cubic miles of sediment across the Gulf of Mexico, burying parts of Mexico and the Caribbean and triggering worldwide earthquakes and volcanic activity. The Surfer Magazine piece (republished by Yahoo News) also muses how a similar event could unfold today.

via Yahoo|

#asteroid #dinosaurs #megatsunami

science23 days ago•33 min saved

Apophis to zip by Earth in 2029, a near-light-speed shift in its orbit

NASA says the Eiffel Tower–sized asteroid Apophis, categorized as potentially hazardous, will pass Earth in April 2029 at about 20,000 miles away—closer than many geosynchronous satellites—nudging its orbit and rotation but posing no immediate risk. Discovered in 2004, Apophis is a remnant from the solar system’s formation; its name comes from the Egyptian god of chaos. Astronomers plan close-up observations, aided by missions like OSIRIS‑REx and Ramses to study the encounter.

via Yahoo News New Zealand|

#apophis #asteroid #nasa

space26 days ago•2 min saved

Asteroid Plane Could Slash Mars Voyage Time to 153 Days

A new Acta Astronautica study suggests an optimized flight path anchored to asteroid 2001 CA21 could enable a round trip to Mars in about 153 days, with the 2031 Mars opposition offering a uniquely favorable route (outbound legs around 33 and 56 days). However, practical challenges—propulsion, fuel, payload mass, and shelter requirements—remain significant hurdles to making such a mission feasible.

via Futurism|

#asteroid #mars #orbital-mechanics

space27 days ago•4 min saved

Apophis to Perform Rare Close Flyby Within 20,000 Miles of Earth

The 1,100-foot asteroid Apophis will pass about 20,000 miles above Earth on April 13, 2029—closer than many satellites and described as a very rare encounter—offering scientists a unique chance to study its internal structure and how Earth's gravity will alter its orbit and rotation, with NASA confirming there is no danger to Earth.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#apophis #asteroid #gravity

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Ancient North Sea Impact Triggered a 330-Foot Megatsunami, Scientists Say

Seismic data and rock cuttings confirm the Silverpit Crater off Yorkshire formed 43–46 million years ago when a ~160-meter asteroid struck the shallow North Sea, vaporizing rock and water and spawning a tsunami over 100 meters tall; two shocked mineral grains in nearby samples settled the long-running debate and establish Silverpit as a rare marine impact crater.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#asteroid #craters #impact

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Apophis 2029 Flyby: Naked-Eye Close Encounter Near Earth

NASA says the 1,230-foot asteroid Apophis, nicknamed the God of Chaos, will skim within about 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029—closer than many satellites and bright enough to be seen with the naked eye—providing a historic opportunity for observation and planetary-defense research; there is no threat to Earth, and the asteroid will return in 2036 much farther away.

via geekspin|

#apophis #asteroid #nasa