Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
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.
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.
Messenger comets might be why Earth has life, asteroid Ryugu samples suggest
By Robert Lea published
Samples of the asteroid Ryugu, returned to Earth by the Hayabusa2 mission, carry evidence that organic molecules important to life were once delivered to Earth by comets.
How NASA predicted the Jan. 21 asteroid crash over Germany
By Mike Wall published
NASA's Scout impact-assessment system told astronomers where and when the tiny space rock would crash on Sunday morning (Jan. 21).
Scientists discover near-Earth asteroid hours before it exploded over Berlin
By Kiley Price published
For only the eighth time in history, scientists detected an asteroid before it made its fiery appearance over Earth. The tiny fireball exploded near Berlin early on Jan. 21.
12 times scientists penetrated the secrets of asteroids in 2023
By Rahul Rao published
The OSIRIS-REx sampling mission, a planetary defense prototype named DART and a spacecraft's ambitious journey to a metal world are just some of the highlights
Space weather will drag NASA's NEOWISE asteroid-hunting probe back to Earth in 2025
By Rahul Rao published
After more than a decade of hunting for asteroids and comets, the days of NASA's NEOWISE mission are officially numbered, thanks to our increasingly active sun.
Could we defend Earth against a 'rubble pile' asteroid?
By Leonard David published
Scientists have discovered that many asteroids have the consistency of piles of rubble. Knowing this, how could we defend Earth against one of these asteroids?
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