Articles tagged with Asteroids
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.
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.
The Bennu samples contain amino acids and nucleobases, building blocks for proteins, as well as ammonia, which can react to form complex molecules under the right conditions. These findings suggest that the conditions necessary for life were widespread across the early solar system, increasing the odds of life existing elsewhere.
The study analyzed material from asteroid Bennu, finding evidence of building blocks of life, water, and energy. The team also discovered evaporites, which have been found on Earth in dried-out salt lakes, providing insights into the asteroid's formation.
Berkeley Lab scientists analyzed asteroid Bennu samples using advanced tools, revealing a telltale set of salts formed by evaporation that illuminate the asteroid's watery past. The findings suggest Bennu may have delivered water and essential chemical building blocks of life to Earth in the distant past.
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.
Researchers discovered organic molecules on Ceres' surface but found no evidence of volcanic or tectonic activity. The deposits are thought to have originated from impacts by outer asteroid belt bodies, which could have introduced building blocks of life.
Researchers discover surface chemistry unlike other centaurs on Chiron, with carbon dioxide and methane gases in its coma. The findings provide insight into the creation of our Solar System's origins and the unique processes producing Chiron's surface composition.
A team of astronomers has detected the smallest main-belt asteroids ever found, with 138 rocky bodies reported in the asteroid belt. The discovery provides insights into the formation of small objects in the solar system and their potential impact on Earth's planetary defense.
A new detection method has been used to identify over 100 small asteroids in the main asteroid belt, ranging from bus-sized to stadium-wide. This breakthrough could aid in tracking potential asteroid impactors and provide insights into meteorite origins.
A new study by UCL researchers found no lasting changes in the Earth's climate after two massive asteroid impacts around 35.65 million years ago. The impact craters left behind no evidence of a shift in climate over 150,000 years.
Researchers propose that small black holes born in the early universe could have left behind hollow planetoids and microscopic tunnels, potentially detectable with telescopes or by monitoring old materials. The study suggests a low probability of primordial black hole passage but emphasizes the potential for discovery.
The final data release from NASA's NEOWISE mission encompasses over 26 million images and nearly 200 billion sources detected by the telescope. The new images showcase the full-sky coverage of the survey, revealing previously unseen regions of cosmic dust where stars are born.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team developed a revised solar composition that potentially reconciles spectroscopy and helioseismology measurements for the first time. The new solar composition suggests higher levels of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in the Sun than previously thought.
Scientists analyzed particles from asteroid Ryugu, revealing a weak magnetic field that likely pulled matter inward to form the outer planetary bodies. The team estimates that such a low-grade field intensity would have been enough to play a role in giant planet formation, from Jupiter to Neptune.
Dr. James Walker has received the Distinguished Scientist Award for his significant contributions to hypervelocity impact science and penetration modeling. His research applications include body armor, ground vehicle armor, and shielding against orbital debris.
A team at MIT discovered pyrene, a large carbon-containing molecule, in a distant interstellar cloud. The finding supports the PAH hypothesis and suggests that pyrene may have contributed to the formation of our solar system's chemical inventory.
An international team has identified the sources of 70% of all known meteorite falls, revealing that 37% come from the Massalia family. The discovery was made possible by a telescopic survey and computer simulations of asteroid families' composition and evolution.
Astronomers have reduced concerns about a potentially hazardous asteroid swarm near Earth after discovering fewer large space rocks than previously thought. The study found only a handful of asteroids, likely less than 14, that fit the large size class, suggesting a smaller parent object and reducing the risk of extinction-level events.
Researchers at LSU and Smithsonian Institution found that ants began farming fungi after an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. This behavior is still exhibited by some ant species today.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have captured high-resolution images of a five-mile asteroid impact crater buried deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The data reveals minute-by-minute chaos after collision, including rocks flowing upwards to the crater floor and an 800-metre-plus high tsunami. The findings confirm the Nadir Crater w...
Researchers discover that asteroid Ryugu, a carbon-rich meteorite, shares a rare ingredient with material formed at the outer edge of the Solar System. The findings challenge previous ideas about the formation of asteroids and require a rethinking of the origin of the CI chondrites group.
Researchers suggest that if most dark matter is composed of microscopic primordial black holes, they should pass through the solar system at least once per decade, introducing a wobble into Mars' orbit. This detection could lend support to the idea that primordial black holes are a primary source of dark matter.
The ESA Hera mission is set to launch in just under a month, with representatives discussing the mission's expectations and current status. The BepiColombo Mission to Mercury is also being updated following its successful flyby, with insights into previous flybys and plans for the remainder of the mission.
A Kobe University researcher found that the massive impact on Ganymede was around 20 times larger than the one that ended the dinosaurs, causing a 1,400km crater and reorienting its axis, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. The asteroid's diameter was estimated at around 300 kilometers.
A new study by the University of Maryland reveals that NASA's DART spacecraft collision with asteroid moon Dimorphos created a large crater and reshaped it, causing the moon to derail from its original evolutionary progression. The impact also changed Dimorphos' orbit around its parent asteroid Didymos.
A team of geoscientists has identified the origin of the massive asteroid that wiped out 70% of Earth's species 66 million years ago. The study found the asteroid was a carbonaceous-type asteroid that formed outside Jupiter's orbit.
The DART mission provided a unique opportunity for studying the geology of a near-Earth asteroid binary system, shedding light on its origin and evolution. Researchers found that Dimorphos likely spun off from Didymos in a large mass shedding event, with Dimorphos having a surface age 40-130 times older than Didymos.
Researchers studied Chang'e-5 samples to understand how solar wind irradiation and micrometeorite impacts form metallic iron nanoparticles, revealing distinct effects on size and optical properties. The study provides insights into lunar surface color variations and remote sensing measurements.
The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains essential components for life, including carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds. The presence of magnesium-sodium phosphate in the sample suggests a possible history of interaction with water, but also reveals a chemically primitive asteroid.
Researchers uncover dark particles and lighter components with stones, suggesting asteroids played a key role in delivering water and life to Earth. The samples also contain unexpected minerals, offering insights into Bennu's evolution and the early solar system.
New research suggests that our infant solar system resembled a doughnut-shaped protoplanetary disk, where asteroids with metal grains rich in iridium and platinum migrated to the outer disk as it rapidly expanded. This explanation contradicts previous findings of concentric ring structures around other stars.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured evidence of a cataclysmic asteroid collision in the Beta Pictoris star system, which is thought to be similar to our own solar system's early stages. The collision is believed to have occurred about 20 years ago and pulverized the asteroids into fine dust particles.
During its flyby, the Lucy spacecraft discovered a trough and ridge structure on Dinkinesh, revealing a complex history of sudden breakups and transformation. The asteroid's internal strength and dynamic evolution were also revealed, suggesting that it has significant cohesion, unlike some other asteroids.
Researchers found that the dual moons, named Selam, are a contact binary, with one quarter of the asteroid breaking off to form a trough. The team theorized that Dinky's fast spinning motion caused it to shed debris into orbit, which aggregated to form Selam.
A UCF researcher is developing algorithms to track space objects and predict their orbits, which will also aid in maritime domain awareness. The computational framework will enable spacecraft to operate autonomously without intervention from Earth.
A UCF student's study of 25 members of the Erigone family of primitive asteroids has provided context for further research into the solar system's history. The data analysis suggests that these asteroids carry traces of their origins and may have delivered water to Earth, with implications for future NASA missions.
Asteroid Apophis is expected to come extremely close to Earth on April 13, 2029, offering a rare opportunity for research. The NEAlight project aims to investigate three concepts for German small satellite missions to study the asteroid's trajectory and structure.
Researchers at Cornell University used novel statistical calculations to estimate the age of asteroid Selam, finding it to be 2-3 million years old. The method complements traditional crater counting and has advantages in accuracy and applicability to other binary systems.
Researchers analyzed asteroid Ryugu samples to study magnetic and physical bombardment environment in interplanetary space. The investigation revealed changes likely caused by micrometeoroid bombardment, providing insights into the solar system's early stages.
The study used a trove of archived Hubble images to identify the asteroids, working with citizen scientists and machine learning algorithms. The discovery provides insights into the formation and evolution of the asteroid belt, suggesting that smaller fragments may be remnants of larger asteroids that have collided.
A University of Leicester-led study suggests that the orbital instability of the giant planets in our Solar System occurred between 60-100 million years after its beginning, based on analysis of enstatite meteorites. This instability is believed to have led to the formation of the Moon and may have impacted the habitability of Earth.
A team of UCF scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze the elemental composition of a binary duo in the Kuiper Belt, revealing clues about Neptune's formation. The study provides valuable insights into the dynamical history of Neptune and its neighboring objects.
Scientists detected water molecules on two asteroids, Iris and Massalia, indicating a distribution of water in our solar system that can inform searches for life beyond Earth. The discovery was made possible by using the FORCAST instrument to isolate mid-infrared spectral signatures indicative of molecular water.
Researchers have discovered melt splashes on Ryugu samples containing silicate glasses with voids and small inclusions of spherical iron sulfides. The chemical compositions suggest that Ryugu's hydrous silicates mixed with cometary dust, indicating the transport of primitive organic matter from space to Earth.
Researchers from Curtin University analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons extracted from Ryugu and Murchison meteorites, revealing that certain PAHs likely formed in the cold areas of space between stars. This discovery offers valuable insights into the history and chemistry of celestial bodies like asteroids and meteorites.
Researchers have discovered the oldest known fossils of the Frankincense and Myrrh family in Indian chert, dating back to the Cretaceous period. The fossils were preserved in pyrenes, which are woody dispersal pods that protect seeds from digestion.
A groundbreaking study on Ryugu samples has revealed the impact of terrestrial weathering on primitive meteorite spectra. The findings suggest that actual CI chondrite parent bodies likely exhibit darker and flatter reflectance spectra than previously thought.
Researchers analyzed dolomite rocks and found a high proportion of C-13, indicating strong methane formation by microorganisms in water with low sulphate content. The sediment's chemical development is controlled by crater floor cooling and water supply, not climatic changes.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki found that asteroid Phaethon is composed of olivine, carbonates, iron sulfides, and oxide minerals, matching the spectra of rare CY carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. This discovery explains the formation of gas near the Sun and the subsequent release of dust and gravel into space.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that comets can deliver intact prebiotic molecules to planets in 'peas in a pod' systems, which are promising places to search for life outside our Solar System.
The study found that Ryugu and CIs share a common genetic heritage, but the asteroid's Cr isotopes exhibit anomalies that could be caused by water-driven processes. These anomalies are thought to have arisen from the physicochemical fractionation of presolar nanoparticles and secondary minerals.
New studies show that giant gas planets in nearby star systems can prevent life on smaller, rocky planet neighbors by kicking them out of orbit and wreaking havoc on their climates. Researchers found that four giant planets in the HD 141399 system are likely to destroy the chances for life on Earth-like planets.