asteroids

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NASA's Lucy Is Now in the Sky, With Diamonds

Spacecraft is on 12-year mission to explore Jupiter's Trojan asteroids

(Newser) - A NASA spacecraft named Lucy rocketed into the sky with diamonds Saturday on a 12-year quest to explore eight asteroids. Seven of the mysterious space rocks are among swarms of asteroids sharing Jupiter's orbit, thought to be the pristine leftovers of planetary formation. An Atlas V rocket blasted off...

12-Year Asteroid Mission Begins This Weekend

NASA launches 'Lucy' toward Jupiter

(Newser) - Attention asteroid aficionados: NASA is set to launch a series of spacecraft to visit and even bash some of the solar system’s most enticing space rocks. A robotic trailblazer named Lucy is up first, blasting off this weekend on a 12-year cruise to swarms of asteroids near Jupiter—unexplored...

Astronomers Have New Tool in Hunt for Asteroids

New telescope part of initiative by European Southern Observatory to track dangerous ones

(Newser) - Scientists said Tuesday they've switched on a new telescope at the European Southern Observatory as part of an effort to create an automated network for spotting asteroids that might pose a risk to Earth, per the AP . The 22-inch TBT2 telescope that's now seen "first light" at...

Asteroid's Odds of Hitting Earth Just Improved

Though they're still slim for the year 2068

(Newser) - In nine years, a big asteroid will come close enough to Earth that it will be visible with the naked eye. In 2036, Apophis will make a return trip, and Earthlings will again be safe. The year 2068, however, might be a different story. Scientists just made some new calculations...

NASA Expert: That Asteroid? I Don't Think It's an Asteroid

Paul Chodas looks closely at that thing headed our way

(Newser) - The jig may be up for an "asteroid" that's expected to get nabbed by Earth's gravity and become a mini moon next month, the AP reports. Instead of a cosmic rock, the newly discovered object appears to be an old rocket from a failed moon-landing mission 54...

Historic Asteroid First Was 'Better Than Perfect'

Japan's Hayabusa2 collected underground samples

(Newser) - Japan's space agency says data transmitted from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft indicated it successfully landed on a distant asteroid Thursday and completed its historic mission of collecting underground samples that scientists hope will provide clues to the origin of the solar system. Hayabusa2 had created itself a landing crater in...

Scientists: Asteroid a Mile Wide Hit Earth, and We Know Where

Researchers think 12-mile-wide crater is underwater off coast of Scotland

(Newser) - About 10 years ago, scientists found clues of a violent asteroid impact with Earth, and now they say they've finally figured out where the event happened. The Guardian reports that ground zero for the hit is 650 feet under the water between Scotland's mainland and the Outer Hebrides...

Japanese Spacecraft Bombs Asteroid
Japanese Spacecraft
Bombs Asteroid
Apr 5, 2019 3:54 AM CDT

Japanese Spacecraft Bombs Asteroid

Risky mission to make crater was a success

(Newser) - Japan's space agency says its Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully dropped an explosive designed to make a crater on an asteroid and collect its underground samples to find possible clues to the origin of the solar system. Friday's crater mission was the riskiest for Hayabusa2, as it had to immediately...

Asteroid Far Brighter Than Moon Dazzles Over US

NASA meteor cameras capture it above Alabama

(Newser) - People up late in the Southeast one night last week had the chance to catch a brief but spectacular light show. In a Facebook post , NASA says its meteor cameras picked up a small asteroid about 1:19am Friday that burned through the night sky and would have been tough...

Water on Earth Older Than Sun, Earth Itself

Water molecules more than 4.5 billion years old are in our drinking water, oceans

(Newser) - If you live and die by food and beverage expiration dates, you might not want to know how old some of our drinking water is. A study finds that 30% to 50% of the water found in our taps and oceans contains molecules created more than 4.5 billion years...

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