Asteroids - Page 50

October 21, 2015

Life on Earth may have come from a comet, scientists say

The explosive collisions of icy comets with planets and moons generated the vital building blocks of life, spreading these necessary ingredients throughout the solar system, researchers say.

October 20, 2015

Russian meteor was largest in a century

The meteor that crashed to earth in Russia was about 55 feet in diameter, weighed around 10,000 tons and was made from a stony material, scientists said, making it the largest such object to hit the Earth in more than a century.

October 20, 2015

Meteor shower created by Halley’s Comet peaks tonight

A meteor shower spawned by history’s most famous comet will peak this weekend, and the show could be dazzling for observers with clear skies, experts say.

October 20, 2015

European comet lander may wake up from space slumber

Europe's Philae comet lander may be about to wake up from its lengthy, unplanned slumber.

October 20, 2015

Time-lapse video shows powerful asteroids strike Earth with surprising frequency

Since the start of the 21st century, dozens of incoming asteroids have slammed into Earth, some of them packing far more energy than a city-destroying atomic bomb, a new animation illustrates.

October 20, 2015

Southern California sky lights up with reported fireball

Southern Californians from Santa Barbara to San Diego have reported seeing a fireball that forecasters said was most likely a meteor streaking across the sky.

October 20, 2015

NASA declares an end to Deep Impact comet mission after spacecraft goes silent

NASA has given up on the Deep Impact spacecraft, which suddenly went silent after nine years of exploration.

October 20, 2015

Four asteroids buzz Earth in single week

In the last seven days, an asteroid the size of a city block and three smaller space rocks have zoomed safely by Earth, the latest demonstration that we live in a solar system that some scientists have dubbed a "cosmic shooting gallery."

October 20, 2015

Suitcase-sized satellite launched to hunt asteroids, space junk

A rocket carrying seven new satellites, including the first spacecraft designed to hunt huge asteroids and two of the world's smallest space telescopes, launched into space Monday.

October 20, 2015

Meteorite fragments spark 'gold rush' in Russia

Tiny fragments of the meteorite that blew apart over Russia may be worth more their weight in gold.