Asteroids

Science 2 hours ago

Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe set to 'fire a bullet' into an asteroid

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft will briefly touchdown onto asteroid Ryugu Thursday evening, firing a scientific research “bullet” into the space rock.

Science 2 hours ago

A brilliant daytime meteor exploded over Cuba this month. Here's where it came from

Astronomers just got the goods on the meteor that flared up over Cuba earlier this month.

Science 2 hours ago

Football field-sized asteroid set for Earth flyby

A huge asteroid is set to fly past Earth at more than 30,000 mph on Tuesday.

Science 2 hours ago

NASA eyes giant 'meteorite' crater beneath Greenland’s ice

NASA scientists have spotted a giant crater beneath Greenland’s ice that may be the result of a massive meteorite smashing into the Earth.

Science 2 hours ago

Fastest-orbiting asteroid zips around Sun in just 165 days

Astronomers have just found an asteroid that zips around the sun every 165 Earth days.

Science 2 hours ago

Could mysterious 'alien spacecraft' be nothing more than cosmic dust?

The debate about what exactly the mysterious interstellar object known as "Oumuamua" is, continues to rage on. Now, a new study suggests the space object may be nothing more than cosmic space dust.

Science 2 hours ago

Stunning new map of the Milky Way shows 800 million stars, galaxies and near-earth asteroids

At first, it looks like a planet: dark, snow-speckled and slashed down the center by a deep red scar.

Science 2 hours ago

Asteroids have been crushing Earth for nearly 300 million years and no one knows why

A new study notes that asteroids have been impacting the Earth at triple the rate over the past 290 million years they were previously and scientists aren't sure why.

Science 2 hours ago

Mysterious interstellar object might not be so special after all

Oumuamua was discovered in October 2017 and is now making its way towards Saturn's orbit, has sparked much discussion about what it is, but there is one thing it may not be, according to a new study. Special.

Science 2 hours ago

NASA spacecraft snaps incredible picture of Earth

Nearly a month after it reached its destination, circling the asteroid Bennu, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has snapped an incredible image of the Earth.

Science 2 hours ago

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs caused a mile-high tsunami around the Earth

Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago thanks to a massive asteroid that hit the Earth in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, now known as the Chicxulub crater. While it's been generally accepted that the asteroid caused a massive disruption in the planet's climate, a new study says the asteroid also caused a worldwide tsunami that reached more than 5,000 feet in the air.

Science 2 hours ago

‘Potentially hazardous’ hippo-shaped asteroid a mile long skims past Earth

A rogue asteroid shaped like a wading hippo has just skimmed past Earth.

Science 2 hours ago

The rubber ducky comet blasted a magnetic path through space

Rosetta's comet sent a magnetic shock wave screaming out in front of it, blazing a trail through the stellar wind.

Science 2 hours ago

NASA makes amazing discovery on asteroid Bennu

Scientists have made a fascinating discovery on asteroid Bennu thanks to NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

Science 2 hours ago

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reaches asteroid Bennu after epic journey

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reached asteroid Bennu on Monday after traveling more than 1 billion miles through space.

Science 2 hours ago

Curiosity rover spots 'shiny' object on Mars and NASA isn't sure what it is

The Curiosity rover has detected a "shiny" object which may be a meteorite.

Science 2 hours ago

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft set to reach asteroid Bennu after epic journey

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with asteroid Bennu on Monday after traveling more than 1 billion miles through space. The historic expedition will be the first U.S. mission to bring samples from an asteroid back to Earth.

Science 2 hours ago

Mysterious interstellar object conundrum intensifies as NASA reveals it didn't originally see it

The mystery of Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system, has taken a new, unexpected twist and it's from someone you might not expect – NASA.

Science 2 hours ago

Earth smacked by an asteroid 19-miles-wide thousands of years ago: 'It rocked the Northern Hemisphere'

An enormous crater, measuring 19 miles in diameter, has been officially found in Greenland, hidden under the ice. The find was likely caused by an asteroid that hit the Earth "less than 3 million years ago," and is said to have "rocked the Northern Hemisphere."

Science 2 hours ago

Mysterious interstellar object is not an alien probe, says astronomer who discovered it

The idea that Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system, is "a lightsail of artificial origin" sent from another civilization, is preposterous and just "wild speculation," according to the physicist and astronomer who discovered it.

Science 2 hours ago

Diamond-shaped asteroid captured by NASA spacecraft stuns scientists

With help from its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, NASA researchers spotted quite a gem last week.

Science 2 hours ago

Mysterious interstellar object could be 'lightsail' sent from another civilization

NASA may have ruled that Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever spotted in our system is a "metallic or rocky object" approximately 400 meters in length and 40 meters wide, but a new study from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics says it could be something much more exciting – it could be "a lightsail of artificial origin" sent from another civilization.

Science 2 hours ago

Breathtaking video captures meteor exploding in night sky: It's 'a once-in-a-lifetime thing'

A man in the U.K. managed to capture photos and video of a lifetime, getting the exact moment when a meteor exploded and then disintegrated above a castle.

Science 2 hours ago

Comets and asteroids could be flinging life all over the galaxy, study finds

If you're wondering where E.T. is, he might be riding on a comet across the galaxy, according to a new study.

Science 2 hours ago

'Crazy' rocky surface of asteroid Ryugu revealed in MASCOT Lander images

BERLIN — A shoebox-sized European space robot turned up a few surprises when it hopped around on an asteroid last week.

Science 2 hours ago

Man uses meteorite as doorstop, finds out it's worth $100G

"It's the most valuable specimen I have ever held in my life, monetarily and scientifically."

Science 2 hours ago

Japanese spacecraft successfully lands a new robot on asteroid’s surface

A small Japanese probe landed an observation robot on the asteroid Ryugu last night in mission to study the solar system’s origins.

Science 2 hours ago

Stunning image from lost spacecraft reveals what it’s like to stand on a comet

The European Space Agency has released a new image of what it's like to actually stand on a comet, courtesy of the Rosetta spacecraft.

Science 2 hours ago

Eerie skull-shaped asteroid will zoom past Earth just after Halloween

An asteroid that, in certain light conditions, resembles a human skull, will fly past Earth just after Halloween.

Science 2 hours ago

Asteroid rovers send back stunning new pictures of space rock's surface

Japan’s space agency has released stunning new photos and video of a distant asteroid’s rocky surface that were captured by two small rovers.

Science 2 hours ago

Stunning asteroid photos captured by tiny rovers on space rock's surface

Japan’s space agency has released remarkable photos of a distant asteroid’s rocky surface that were captured by two small rovers.