Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
Mysterious features on asteroid Vesta may be explained by saltwater
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Temporary flows of saltwater could explain mysterious gullies and fan-shaped deposits spotted across asteroid Vesta.
A meteorite 200 times bigger than the dinosaur-killing asteroid helped life on Earth flourish
By Robert Lea published
The destructive power of asteroids is undeniable — just ask the dinosaurs. New research suggests a huge space rock that struck Earth over 3 billion years ago may have benefitted early life.
Scientists look back in time to reconstruct explosions in Earth's atmosphere
By Conor Feehly published
An illustration of a cosmic airburst event.
Saturn gets its 1st confirmed Trojan asteroid — but it might be stolen
By Robert Lea published
Saturn has finally joined the solar system's other giant planets in possessing a Trojan asteroid, but it may have stolen it. The bouncing asteroid seems to have originated in the Kuiper belt.
Most of Earth's meteorites may have come from the same 3 spots
By Conor Feehly published
Scientists say they've uncovered where the vast majority of Earth's meteorites came from.
Phew! No 'doomsday' asteroids hide in famous broken comet's debris stream
By Keith Cooper published
The Taurid Meteoroid Stream, responsible for two November meteor showers and possibly the Tunguska and Chelyabinsk impacts, probably doesn't hide a civilization-killing asteroid, a new study finds.
Astronauts could mine asteroids for food someday, scientists say
By Samantha Mathewson published
Material harvested from asteroids could be used to sustain astronauts during long-duration space missions.
Earth has caught a 'second moon,' scientists say
By Robert Lea last updated
Scientists calculated that, on Sunday (Sept. 29), our planet should have captured the asteroid 2024 PT5, claiming it as a very temporary "mini-moon."
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