Asteroids

Latest about Asteroids

An illustration shows radar spotting an asteroid as it approaches Earth

Radar could help scientists find potentially threatening asteroids. Here's how

By Robert Lea published

The Greenbank Telescope could join NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar for planetary defense.

Asteroids
A NASA line map of the path of asteroid 2024 DW between Earth and the moon's orbit on Feb. 22, 2024.

An asteroid the size of a bus will fly near Earth on Feb. 22 — but don't worry (video)

By Tariq Malik published

A newfound asteroid the size of a bus will zoom close by Earth on Thursday (Feb. 22), but it shouldn't pose a threat to our planet.

Asteroids
dinosaurs look on as an asteroid plumets through the sky

An asteroid will hit Earth at some point. What can we do about it?

By Paul Sutter published

Any day now, it could happen: We could detect an asteroid on an Earth-crossing trajectory. It might be tomorrow; it might be a thousand years from now. So what can we do about it?

Asteroids
on the left, taking up half the image, a large asteroid hangs in space. on the right, a blue circle acts as a magnifying area, with blue lines running a tangent from the top and bottom of its circumference, converging on a smaller circle, located on the asteroid. in the blue circle is a smooth grey rock with blue and white dots o n it.

Water found on the surface of an asteroid for the 1st time ever

By Samantha Mathewson published

Water molecules have been detected on the surface of an asteroid for the first time, revealing new clues about the distribution of water in our solar system.

Asteroids
An illustration of an asteroid near Earth.

A tiny asteroid just snuck between the Earth and moon

By Samantha Mathewson published

A newly discovered asteroid has passed safely between the Earth and moon during a very close encounter this week.

Asteroids
Illustration depicts asteroid Phaethon being heated by the Sun. The asteroid’s surface gets so hot that sodium inside Phaethon’s rock likely vaporizes and vents into space, causing it to brighten like a comet and form a tail.

Geminid meteors may be 10 times older than thought, simulations of oddball asteroid Phaethon suggest

By Deepa Jain published

The comet-like asteroid Phaethon likely lobbed thousands of rocky fragments toward Earth while rapidly spinning around the sun 18,000 years ago, new research suggests ― and it may fling some more soon.

Asteroids
a black and white rock on a white background

Asteroid 2024 BX1 fragments confirmed to be rare meteorites as old as the solar system itself

By Robert Lea published

When asteroid 2024 BX1 exploded over Earth it littered the planet with rare meteorites that are similar in composition to the unspoiled building blocks of our planet.

Asteroids
a silver metal cannister containing dark grey pebbles

1st look at asteroid Bennu samples suggests space rock may even be 'a fragment of an ancient ocean world'

By Leonard David published

Space.com caught up with two leading scientists now engaged in extracting and analyzing samples of asteroid Bennu retrieved by NASA's OSIRIS-Rex mission.

Asteroids
A balck and white image of an asteroid streaking through the stars

Huge stadium-size asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth for centuries today (Feb. 2)

By Harry Baker published

A "potentially hazardous" space rock the size of a football stadium is about to reach its closest point to our planet for more than 100 years, and it won't get this close to us again for centuries more.

Asteroids
an illustration of an asteroid's orbit, showing it passing close by Earth

Watch newly discovered asteroid fly between Earth and moon on Jan. 27 (video)

By Sascha Pare last updated

Asteroid 2024 BJ, which astronomers detected earlier this month, will be live-streamed as it zooms within 220,000 miles of Earth, or closer to us than the average distance to the moon.

Asteroids
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