near earth objects

10 Stories

2 Massive Asteroids Enter the Neighborhood

No risk to Earth, but a great chance to learn

(Newser) - An asteroid large enough to destroy a city will make a rare pass by Earth this weekend, coming close enough to spot with a telescope, "or perhaps even with some good binoculars," per the New York Times . Thankfully, there's a 0% chance that 2024 MK, discovered less...

NASA Finally Unlocks Its Asteroid Sample
OSIRIS-REx Reveals
a 'Treasure Trove'
Jan 24, 2024 12:51 PM CST

OSIRIS-REx Reveals a 'Treasure Trove'

NASA finally unlocks long-sought asteroid sample, with some decent-sized rocks

(Newser) - After months of painstaking effort, the last two screws have finally been removed from the end of OSIRIS-REx's articulated arm, which grabbed a sample of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu as part of a $1 billion NASA mission, allowing scientists to look inside. They found a "treasure trove of...

THOR Might Save Us All One Day
THOR Might Save
Us All One Day
Jun 5, 2022 6:00 PM CDT

THOR Might Save Us All One Day

The asteroid-hunting algorithm, not the superhero

(Newser) - Ed Lu is a former NASA astronaut with a PhD in applied physics, and he is worried about near-Earth asteroids—space rocks at least 460 feet in diameter that have been nudged by gravity into Earth’s neighborhood. According to the New York Times , only 40% of the estimated 25,...

He Discovered an Asteroid—Then Its Earth-Bound Path
He Discovered an
Asteroid—Then Its
Earth-Bound Path
in case you missed it
Mar 20, 2022 4:40 PM CDT

He Discovered an Asteroid—Then Its Earth-Bound Path

It soon after struck Earth's atmosphere over Norwegian sea, as NASA system predicted

(Newser) - An asteroid was spotted for the first time Friday only about two hours before it entered into Earth's atmosphere. NASA's early warning system that detects near-Earth objects was put to the test after astronomer Krisztián Sarneczky at the Piszkésteto Observatory in northern Hungary notified the Minor...

Here's What It'll Look Like When Rocket Crashes Into Moon

Moon dust to fly hundreds of miles from impact crater, which is expected to be quite large

(Newser) - The moon is about to get walloped by 3 tons of space junk, a punch that will carve out a crater that could fit several semitractor-trailers. A leftover rocket will smash into the far side of the moon at 5,800mph on Friday, away from telescopes' prying eyes, the AP...

Odds of Asteroid Hitting Earth Inch Higher
Odds on Asteroid
Hit Going Up
Aug 12, 2021 9:20 AM CDT

Odds on Asteroid Hit Going Up

It's still very unlikely Bennu will strike in the next century

(Newser) - The good news is that scientists have a better handle on asteroid Bennu's whereabouts for the next 200 years. The bad news is that the space rock considered one of the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system has a slightly greater chance of clobbering Earth than...

Asteroid Bound for Close Call With Earth

But DA14 definitely won't hit us, NASA says

(Newser) - An asteroid big enough to flatten a city will zip closer to Earth than any previously observed space object its size on Feb. 15, but astronomers say there is zero chance of 2012 DA14 squishing any Earthlings this time around. With a 148-foot diameter and the mass of a cruise...

How to Watch Tonight's Asteroid Flyby

Huge near-Earth asteroid 2012 LZ1 is approaching

(Newser) - An unusually large and bright asteroid will fly by Earth tonight, and astronomers believe it will come close enough to be caught on camera, Space.com reports. 2012 LZ1, which was only discovered this week, is between 1,000 and 2,300 feet wide and, at its closest, is expected...

Asteroid Could Threaten Earth

Deflection mission may be needed to keep 2011 AG5 away

(Newser) - Astronomers are keeping their eyes on an asteroid with the potential to make life very uncomfortable for a lot of Earthlings 28 years from now. The near-Earth asteroid 2011 AG5, a chunk of rock roughly 460 feet wide, will be close to our planet in 2040, and scientists believe there...

Asteroid Won't Slam Into Mars After All

Disappointed scientists were hoping to study collision

(Newser) - An asteroid heading toward Mars won't crash into it after all, according to disappointed scientists. They had initially calculated there was a 1-in-27 chance of the space rock hitting the red planet, but after new observations researchers estimate the odds are only 1 in 10,000, "effectively ruling out...

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