Tag

Near Earth Objects

All articles tagged with #near earth objects

science2 days ago•11 min saved

Tunguska 1908: The Sky Burst That Left No Ground Crater

On June 30, 1908, a sky explosion over Tunguska, Siberia leveled about 2,150 square kilometers of forest with an energy around 10–15 megatons, but left no ground crater because the object disintegrated in the atmosphere at roughly 5–10 km altitude; decades later, Leonid Kulik found no meteorite and a radial pattern of downed trees, supporting the airburst explanation and dispelling sensational theories. The object is believed to have been a ~50–60 meter stony asteroid, though Lake Cheko’s proposed crater remains contested. The event reshaped thinking about space hazards and the need to map near-Earth objects, a lesson underscored by the smaller 2013 Chelyabinsk event.

via Space Daily|

#airburst #near-earth-objects #science

science6 days ago•19 min saved

Tiny City-Killer Asteroid Whizzed Past Earth, Spotlighting Limited Warnings

A small near-Earth asteroid called 2026JH2, roughly 50–100 feet across, passed about 24% of the Earth–Moon distance today after being discovered just eight days ago, underscoring how little warning we often have for city-impact threats and the limits of deflection. The piece also surveys a variety of other headlines—from Trump’s Rededicate 250 evangelical event and commentary on Christian nationalism to celebrity news about Pete Davidson, Shakira’s tax case, and a Christopher Nolan casting controversy—illustrating a single day’s mix of science, politics, and pop culture.

via jezebel.com|

#astronomy #disaster-preparedness #entertainment-culture

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

space9 days ago•4 min saved

Cloud Gate-sized asteroid 2026 JH2 makes a surprisingly close Earth flyby

A roughly 20-meter asteroid named 2026 JH2 will pass about 57,000 miles from Earth on May 18, closer than the Moon. It’s an Apollo-type near-Earth object and is not considered a threat; observers can view it with a telescope or via a Virtual Telescope live broadcast.

via WIRED|

#asteroids #astronomy #near-earth-objects

sciencespace18 days ago•4 min saved

Global pact for planetary defence as Ramses targets Apophis

ESA and JAXA signed memoranda to deepen planetary-defence collaboration and advance the Ramses mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis ahead of its 2029 Earth flyby, with ESA leading spacecraft design and JAXA contributing key hardware to study tidal effects and improve deflection knowledge; the 2029 flyby will bring Apophis within about 32,000 km of Earth, presenting a rare science and public-engagement opportunity.

via European Space Agency|

#apophis #esa-jaxa-collaboration #near-earth-objects

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Rubin Observatory Unveils 11,000 Asteroids in Early Look, Heralding a Solar-System Census

In an early data release from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists identified 11,097 new asteroids (along with 33 near-Earth objects and about 380 trans-Neptunian objects), with results confirmed by the MPC. The findings demonstrate Rubin's unprecedented survey power and foreshadow a dramatic expansion of the Solar System inventory during the ten-year LSST era, with data openly available for ongoing research.

via Universe Today|

#asteroids #lsst #near-earth-objects

space1 month ago•70 min saved

Sun-baked asteroid debris births a brand-new meteor shower

A study of millions of meteors found a cluster of 282 that marks a new meteor shower generated by debris from an asteroid that was baked by the Sun; the parent asteroid is still unidentified, but this shows solar heating can crack asteroids and release material, improving our understanding of asteroid evolution and helping planetary defense efforts, with NASA's upcoming NEO Surveyor expected to search for the source.

via Live Science|

#asteroid-activity #geminids #meteor-showers

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Meteorite Strikes Texas Home as Fireball Trail Lights Up the Nation

A cannonball-sized meteorite crashed through a Texas home after a night of widespread fireballs across the United States, with NASA data linking the events to fragmentation of a larger object; scientists say the ground impact provides a rare data point on how meteoroids break apart and survive entry.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#fireball #meteorite #nasa

space-exploration2 months ago•54 min saved

Blue Origin maps two-phase asteroid defense with ion beams and kinetic hits

Blue Origin is teaming with NASA's JPL/Caltech on the NEO Hunter mission to defend Earth from hazardous asteroids. The plan uses Blue Ring, a modular satellite bus, to deploy cubesats that characterize a threat and, if indicated, redirect its trajectory with an ion-beam emitter; if the rock is too big, a Robust Kinetic Disruption phase could strike it to alter course. The concept builds on NASA's DART approach and also envisions Blue Ring supporting other missions (e.g., Mars telecom) in deep space.

via Space|

#asteroid-defense #blue-origin #ion-beam

science2 months ago•16 min saved

Earth at Risk: Over 15,000 City-Killing Asteroids Remain Undetected

NASA warns at an AAAS meeting that more than 15,000 asteroids large enough to destroy a city remain undetected, leaving Earth with little warning time; only about 40% of roughly 25,000 known city-scale asteroids have been cataloged, while many remain dark or near the Sun. Improving detection through the planned Near-Earth Object Surveyor and expanded ground- and space-based surveys, plus international coordination and sustained funding, could provide crucial warning time to mitigate impacts, but a late discovery could still arrive with limited time to respond.

via Earth.com|

#asteroid-detection #nasa #near-earth-objects

space3 months ago•7 min saved

Undetected City-Killer Asteroids Threaten Cities, NASA Warns

NASA experts warn that thousands of mid-sized near-Earth asteroids (roughly 140 meters and larger) could strike regional cities, but most remain undetected; scientists estimate up to 25,000 such objects exist near Earth, with only about 40% identified so far, highlighting gaps in detection and defense, despite progress like the Near-Earth Object Surveyor telescope and lessons from the DART mission, with experts urging more funding and planning to prevent regional catastrophes.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#asteroids #astronomy #near-earth-objects

science6 months ago•3 min saved

Halloween Fireballs May Signal Increased Space Threats in 2032 and 2036

A new study warns that dense clusters of debris from the Taurid meteor stream, associated with Comet Encke, could pose a threat to Earth in 2032 and 2036 due to potential impacts from larger fragments, but with proper observation and mitigation, the risk can be managed.

via Gizmodo|

#2032-and-2036 #comet-encke #meteor-shower

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Earth's Possible Second Moon: The Quasi-Moons and Asteroid 2025 PN7

NASA has confirmed that the object dubbed Earth's 'second moon' is actually a quasi-moon, an asteroid that orbits the sun in near-lockstep with Earth, and not a true moon. Known as 2025 PN7, it has likely been near Earth for about 60 years and will remain so until around 2083, but it has minimal gravitational impact due to its small size.

via Northeastern Global News|

#2025-pn7 #asteroid #earth

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Fast-moving Asteroid Hidden in Sunlight Discovered Near Earth

Scientists have discovered a new near-Earth asteroid, 2025 SC79, which is challenging to observe due to its proximity to the Sun and its orbit entirely within Venus's orbit. This asteroid, about 700 meters in diameter, completes an orbit around the Sun in 128 days and poses potential impact risks, highlighting the importance of studying such elusive objects for planetary defense.

via ScienceAlert|

#2025-sc79 #asteroid #near-earth-objects

science7 months ago•2 min saved

Asteroid Passes Closer to Earth Than Satellites, Space Agencies Confirm

A small asteroid named 2025 TF passed closer to Earth than many satellites, flying over Antarctica at just 265 miles altitude on October 1, 2025. It was detected shortly after its passage by the Catalina Sky Survey and ESA's Planetary Defence Office, highlighting the challenges in tracking small near-Earth objects. The asteroid posed no significant threat but could have created a meteor if it had entered Earth's atmosphere. Another small asteroid, 2025 TQ2, also passed near Earth the following day.

via ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos|

#2025-tf #asteroid #earth-proximity