James Webb Telescope turns its infrared eyes on Jupiter

Last week the James Webb Space Telescope made history with its first images, showing a galaxy cluster billions of light-years away, but now it’s turned its sights on something much closer to home. NASA has released infrared images Webb snapped of Jupit… Continue reading James Webb Telescope turns its infrared eyes on Jupiter

NASA’s asteroid sampler narrowly avoided sinking into surface of Bennu

In October 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made history by touching down on the asteroid Bennu and grabbing a sample of rock and debris. New analysis of this encounter has revealed the probe was lucky to avoid sinking into the asteroid’s surface, wh… Continue reading NASA’s asteroid sampler narrowly avoided sinking into surface of Bennu

Returned asteroid sample unlocks time capsule older than the Sun

A six-year round trip to an asteroid and back has yielded unprecedented insights into the formation of the solar system. Scientists have conducted the first comprehensive analysis of samples returned from asteroid Ryugu, finding a detailed history star… Continue reading Returned asteroid sample unlocks time capsule older than the Sun

NASA extends OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission to visit Apophis

A history-making NASA spacecraft has just received a new lease on life. OSIRIS-REx, which is currently on its way back to Earth with rock samples from asteroid Bennu, will now have its mission extended to visit another asteroid, Apophis.Continue Readin… Continue reading NASA extends OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission to visit Apophis

NASA predicts time and place of small asteroid’s impact with Earth

With less than an hour’s worth of data, NASA managed to predict that a two-meter (6.5 ft) asteroid would impact in the Earth’s atmosphere on March 11 at 5:23 pm EST, over the Norwegian Sea 300 miles (470 km) off the east coast of Greenland.Continue Rea… Continue reading NASA predicts time and place of small asteroid’s impact with Earth

Space shotgun could destroy dangerous asteroids just hours before impact

Wayward asteroids pose a serious threat to life on Earth, and we may not have long to react should we discover one on a collision course. NASA is now investigating a proposal for a defense system that could break apart a hazardous space rock just days … Continue reading Space shotgun could destroy dangerous asteroids just hours before impact

The tense journey from “riskiest asteroid in a decade” to no threat

Astronomers had a tense few days in January, as a newly discovered space rock became the riskiest asteroid in a decade – and then hid behind the Moon for a week. Thankfully, further observations have now found that it poses no risk to Earth when it swi… Continue reading The tense journey from “riskiest asteroid in a decade” to no threat

First quadruple asteroid discovered in the solar system

Astronomers have discovered the first known quadruple asteroid system. A team from Thailand and France spotted a third moon orbiting the main-belt asteroid Elektra, moving the object into the record books.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: A… Continue reading First quadruple asteroid discovered in the solar system

“Dark matter asteroids” could be spotted colliding with stars

Although it should be extremely common in the universe, dark matter has proven tricky to detect. Now researchers have proposed an intriguing new method to spot it – looking for shock waves as dark matter “asteroids” collide with stars.Continue ReadingC… Continue reading “Dark matter asteroids” could be spotted colliding with stars