Articles tagged with Asteroids
A new study suggests that a global blanket of dust after the Chicxulub asteroid impact trapped and radiated enough heat to ignite worldwide wildfires, killing even the thickest-skinned animals. The intense heat pulse would have been 3.5 times more intense than without the dust blanket.
Asteroid impact created a massive dust cloud that trapped heat, causing widespread wildfires and spontaneous combustion. The cloud led to population collapse and atmospheric contamination, ultimately killing most dinosaurs and other species.
A study proposes two detonation defense modes to defend against large-sized near-Earth asteroids. The novel flyby pre-excavation detonation mode offers stronger energy coupling and can destroy hundred-meter-scale asteroids, making it the preferred option when warning time permits.
Researchers identified a rare CO chondrite meteorite as the probable impactor that struck Earth 66 million years ago, leading to the extinction of 75% of Earth's species. The study used advanced nickel isotope analysis to narrow down the composition of the deadly Cretaceous-Palaeogene meteorite.
The Perseverance rover has discovered evidence of repeated asteroid impacts creating a 3.9-billion-year-old 'weather report' from early Mars, preserving a record of variable-sized impacts and potential interaction with water or ice. The findings offer insights into one of the most turbulent chapters in the solar system's history.
A Southwest Research Institute-led study proposes a connection between an asteroid collision and an inner-solar-system-wide bombardment episode 800 million years ago. The research suggests that the catastrophic breakup of the Eulalia parent body may have led to widespread impacts on Earth, coinciding with biological and geological chan...
The SwRI-led Lucy mission has found that asteroid Donaldjohanson rotates on two axes, with a wobbling pattern observed every 10.5 and 26.5 Earth days.
New study by University of Southampton confirms the universe's expansion is still accelerating as previously found, debunking 2025 claims that the cosmos was slowing. The team re-evaluated data using Type Ia supernovae to calculate vast cosmic distances and found no error in their methods.
Southwest Research Institute scientists modeled the early impact history of Earth, finding that asteroid impacts fractured the crust and generated hydrothermal systems. These environments could have provided a suitable setting for the origin and evolution of early life on Earth.
Researchers studied Chang'e-5 lunar regolith, identifying nanoscale evolution of surface materials through impact-induced silicate phase separation and formation of metallic iron. The findings provide new insights into spectral evolution of the Moon and processes responsible for forming lunar impact glass.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has found that asteroid Bennu's boulders are cracked, not porous as initially thought. This discovery transforms our understanding of how to interpret an asteroid's thermal properties from Earth-based observations.
Researchers at the University of Arizona ran simulations to predict how a large crater near Psyche's north pole could have formed, shedding light on its composition. The study found that porosity plays a significant role in crater formation, with implications for understanding Psyche's makeup.
Asteroids in binary systems actively exchange rocks and dust through gentle, slow-motion collisions, reshaping them over millions of years. The DART mission's findings confirm the YORP effect, where sunlight makes small asteroids spin faster, causing material to fly off their surfaces.
Researchers analyzed Ryugu asteroid samples to understand magnetic field evolution in early solar system. The study found that 23 of 28 samples exhibited stable NRM components, providing critical information on the spatiotemporal evolution of magnetic fields.
A Sydney PhD student has recreated a tiny piece of the Universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how the chemical building blocks of life may have formed long before Earth existed.
A study of 80 near-Earth asteroids reveals that C/X-complex asteroids are more abundant among smaller NEAs, while X-complex asteroids tend to have sub-kilometer diameters. The research also shows that C/D-complex asteroids dominate NEAs with a Jovian Tisserand parameter T <sub> J </sub> < 3.1, suggesting a potential cometary origin.
The Rubin Observatory has discovered a record-breaking asteroid, nearly the size of eight football fields, rotating every two minutes. The fastest-spinning asteroid larger than 500 meters ever found is 710 meters in diameter and completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes.
Scientists observe violent collisions around young star Fomalhaut, detecting the aftermath of two powerful collisions over a 20-year period. The collided objects are estimated to be at least 60 kilometers across and may have formed planets.
The SPHERE instrument has produced an unprecedented gallery of debris disks in exoplanetary systems, allowing for deductions of smaller bodies. These observations provide a glimpse of the earliest history of the solar system, with small bodies serving as remnants from planetesimals that did not evolve into larger planets.
A new study of the South Pole-Aitken basin reveals clues about the moon's interior structure, crust composition, and evolutionary history. The research suggests that the moon's near side was heated by radioactive elements from a magma ocean, leading to intense volcanism.
Asteroid rotation is dependent on collision frequency and internal friction. Gaia's dataset reveals a gap in rotational periods versus diameter, solved by a new model of asteroid-spin evolution. Tumbling motion starts from slow spinning due to increased collision vulnerability.
Researchers have identified undetectable asteroids orbiting Venus that could collide with Earth in the distant future. The asteroids' low eccentricity makes them invisible from ground-based observatories, but simulations suggest they pose a real risk of devastating impacts on large cities.
Astronomers have discovered that the 1998 KY26 asteroid, targeted by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, is only 11 meters wide and spins twice as fast as previously thought. This smaller size will make a touchdown manoeuvre more challenging for the spacecraft.
Astronomers using the Gemini South telescope have found that asteroid 1998 KY26 is much smaller and spinning faster than previously thought. The asteroid is approximately 11 meters wide and completes a rotation in just five minutes, making it challenging for Hayabusa2 to land on its surface.
A team of researchers discovered that liquid water once flowed on the ancient asteroid Ryugu, which was formed more than a billion years ago. The finding suggests that carbon-rich asteroids may have delivered much more water to Earth than previously thought, impacting models of the planet's early oceans and atmosphere.
Researchers will evaluate a patent-pending electrolyzer in simulated partial gravity environments aboard parabolic flights. The technology is designed to produce fuel, oxygen, and other life support compounds on the Moon or Mars for long-term human habitation.
Researchers have discovered a new type of tektite exclusively found in South Australia, recording an ancient asteroid impact event approximately 11 million years ago. The unique glasses provide valuable insights into the destructive power of past impacts and their importance for planetary defense.
Researchers suggest that interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS could become seeds for giant planets, solving a long-standing puzzle about their rarity. By capturing millions of these objects, planetary formation can be sped up, allowing gas giants to form within the lifetime of the planet-forming disc.
Astronomers discovered a greedy white dwarf star consuming its closest celestial companion at an unprecedented rate. The study found that the super-dense white dwarf is burning brightly due to the mass transfer between the two stars, potentially leading to a massive explosion visible from Earth.
A new technique uses ground-based observations and DART data to calculate safe asteroid deflection spots. The method takes into account asteroid shape, surface topology, rotation, and mass to minimize the risk of pushing the asteroid through a 'gravitational keyhole'.
The Europlanet Science Congress 2025 will feature press briefings on the RAMSES mission to asteroid Apophis and recent discoveries with the Juno Mission. These events aim to improve our ability to defend Earth from potential asteroid threats.
Three planetary scientists have been awarded Europlanet Career Medals for their contributions to planetary science. Dr Tim Lichtenberg received the Early-Career Medal for his work on planetary formation and exoplanet evolution, while Dr Benoit Carry won the Mid-Career Medal for his research on asteroid structures and planetary defence.
A study of Bennu samples reveals the asteroid reflects light differently at red and blue wavelengths, offering insights into solar system evolution. The findings also enable future research on asteroid navigation and selection.
The OSIRIS-REx sample return mission revealed asteroid Bennu's composition, history, and unique materials. Researchers found stardust from other stars and organic material formed in interstellar space, shedding light on the early solar system's formation.
The DART mission successfully demonstrated asteroid deflection by causing a small satellite to detach from the spacecraft and alter Dimorphos' trajectory. The LICIACube images provided detailed information on the debris plume, revealing that it was composed mostly of large particles.
Researchers find shared dusty layer of troilite on M- and K-type asteroids, suggesting they originated from similar large objects. Polarization studies reveal unique composition linking these distinct asteroid types.
Researchers have developed a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system for satellites and spacecraft. The system can detect impact details, including particle size and volume, and alert spacecraft of potential hits.
A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) review of data collected from near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu supports the hypothesis that they were originally part of the Polana collisional family. The study found similarities in their near-infrared spectrum, suggesting a common origin.
The DART mission's successful asteroid deflection has revealed a complex issue: massive boulders carrying three times the momentum of the spacecraft itself. This unexpected blast complicates future asteroid deflection efforts, as researchers now need to consider the physics of these chaotic and filamentary structures.
A research team at Hiroshima University found the presence of djerfisherite, a potassium-containing iron-nickel sulfide, in a Ryugu grain. The mineral's occurrence is unexpected, as it typically forms in very reduced environments and has never been reported in CI chondrites or other Ryugu grains.
Politecnico di Milano will contribute to the RAMSES mission, studying Apophis' physical and dynamic properties through imagery and data gathered during its flyby. The university's team developed autonomous navigation algorithms that will serve as a test platform for new technologies.
Researchers suggest that an ancient, weak magnetic field and a large plasma-generating impact combined to create a strong magnetic field on the moon. This process could explain the presence of highly magnetic rocks near the south pole's far side, where the Imbrium basin is located.
Asteroid Vesta's interior structure is more uniform than previously thought, contradicting decades-long assumptions about its composition and formation. The new findings suggest two possible hypotheses: incomplete differentiation or being a broken chunk of a growing planet.
A team of researchers at the University of Oxford has found evidence in a rare type of meteorite that supports the theory that water on Earth is native, rather than originating from asteroids. The discovery suggests that the early Earth had sufficient hydrogen to form water molecules.
The Lucy mission is surveying the three-mile-wide main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, which may have formed 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart. The flyby will provide independent insights on evolutionary processes based on its shape, surface geology and cratering history.
Researchers analyzed over 8500 meteoroids and found that the atmosphere and Sun act like giant filters, destroying fragile carbon-rich meteoroids before they reach the ground. This discovery reshapes how scientists interpret meteorites collected so far and could influence future asteroid missions.
A study found that a hydrothermal system created by an asteroid impact helped marine life flourish in the Gulf of Mexico for at least 700,000 years. The system generated and circulated nutrients, supporting high-nutrient environments that favored certain types of plankton.
International team improves asteroid impact threat estimates from 3% to below 0.001%, with a new risk of 4% chance of impacting the Moon instead, threatening human space infrastructure.
New research reveals mammals were shifting toward a more ground-based lifestyle several million years before the dinosaurs' mass extinction event. Analyzing small-fossilized bone fragments, scientists found signs of locomotory habit in end of limb bones from marsupial and placental mammals.
A team of researchers describes the circumstances of a rare 2019 meteorite fall near Aguas Zarcas in northern Costa Rica, challenging the notion that mudball meteorites are weak. The recovered 27-kilogram meteorite, nicknamed 'Aguas Zarcas,' avoided collisions in space and did not exhibit cracks that weaken many meteorites.
Scientists precisely dated the formation of the Moon's largest impact crater, the South Pole-Aitken Basin, to 4.25 billion years ago using Chang'e-6 samples. The discovery provides critical insights into the early history of the Moon and the Solar System.
Researchers have developed a geologic map of the asteroid belt, identifying source regions for different types of meteorites. The study, published by the SETI Institute, uses data from over 75 laboratory-classified meteorites with tracked impact orbits.
New modeling by Southwest Research Institute-led researchers suggests that asteroid Donaldjohanson formed around 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart. The mission's data could shed light on the asteroid's peculiar shape and surface geology.
New ESO observations have reduced the likelihood of a 2024 YR4 asteroid impact on Earth in 2032 to nearly zero. The asteroid's orbit was closely monitored with multiple telescopes, and precise measurements were made using ESO's VLT, allowing astronomers to constrain its orbit and rule out an impact.
Researchers from Politecnico di Milano and Georgia Tech analyzed NASA's DART mission to asteroid Dimorphos, revealing a viable mechanism for ejecta evolution and understanding the impact of an asteroid's shape on deflection. The studies suggest that sending multiple smaller impactors can increase the asteroid push while reducing costs.
Researchers found evidence of sodium carbonate, halite, and sodium sulfates on Ryugu, indicating liquid saline water once existed within its parent body. This discovery provides insights into the chemical history of Ryugu and sheds light on the loss of liquid water in the outer Solar System.
A new study simulates a medium-sized asteroid collision with Earth, revealing dramatic disruptions in climate, atmospheric chemistry, and global photosynthesis. However, ocean plankton growth surprisingly recovers quickly and even increases after the impact, potentially alleviating emerging food insecurity.
Researchers gained insight into the early history of the solar system through well-preserved asteroid samples. The analysis revealed a variety of salts, including sodium carbonates, phosphates, sulphates, and chlorides, which formed from evaporation of brines. These findings may provide clues about the presence of life on distant icy b...
The OSIRIS-REx mission returned a large sample from asteroid Bennu, which Japanese collaborators detected includes all five nucleobases required for life. The analysis revealed high concentrations of ammonia and nitrogen-rich organic matter.
Scientists have discovered complex structures and compounds in asteroid Bennu samples that suggest extraterrestrial brines played a crucial role in the development of organic compounds. The findings indicate that similar brines may still exist on other asteroids and dwarf planets, holding secrets to understanding life's origins.