NASA announced that a 1,800-feet/ 550-meter wide asteroid would fly past Earth at a safe distance January 26. The flyby does not endanger Earth since the space rock would come within nearly 75,000 miles/ 1.2 million km of Earth, which is three times the Moon-Earth distance, NASA experts said. However, space scientists can hardly wait for the event and have already prepared two huge radio … [Read more...]
Japanese Space Probe Launched After Being Delayed Twice
The Japanese Space Probe Hayabusa 2 has finally parted from the Tanegashima Space Center on the 2nd of December, after two attempts got postponed due to poor weather conditions. As we speak, it is on course towards the asteroid known as 1999 JU3 with the mission to collect as much information as it can about potential organic material present on it. When it comes to unraveling the universe’s … [Read more...]
Asteroid Mining Closer to Reality
Two private companies announced they will pursue their plans of asteroid mining. Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources received contracts from NASA to study asteroid redirection. The U.S. company in Washington State, Planetary Resources will launch two satellites to analyze the design and systems of their telescopes based in outer space. The satellites are called Arkyd 6 and Arkyd … [Read more...]
Asteroid with Comet-like Tail from Hygiea Family Discovered
Astronomers made a unique discovery in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, finding what they call an active asteroid with a comet-like tail. Researchers were not expecting such a discovery as the recently observed asteroid would represent the first comet-like body in the Hygiea family. Dubbed 62412, the asteroid is no novelty to astronomers. However, until now, scientists had … [Read more...]
On Earth Day, videos showing powerful asteroids striking Earth released
On the occasion of 44th Earth Day, an asteroid hunting organization has released some terrific visuals of asteroids slamming our planet. The B612 Foundation, an asteroid-hunting non-profit organization founded by former NASA astronauts, has posted some of the eye catching footages of dozens of incoming asteroids attacking the Earth with some of them having the power of city-destroying atomic … [Read more...]
Asteroid 2014 DX110 to have close encounter with Earth
Giving a rare treat to the space gazers, US space agency NASA has announced that an asteroid will fly past Earth closer than the moon today. NASA says, with the help of its current detection capabilities the space agency is able to make such last minute asteroid announcements, which happen around 20 times a year According to the space agency, the asteroid is 30 meters across and traveling at … [Read more...]