Articles tagged with Asteroids
A new University of Colorado Boulder study suggests that ancient Martian bombardments created regions with hydrothermal systems similar to those in Yellowstone National Park. These systems may have made early Mars habitable for a time.
A new computer simulation called MEteor engages middle school students in learning physics concepts like planetary motion and gravitational acceleration by having them physically act out asteroid travel. The study found that students who used the immersive simulation showed significant gains in understanding and positive attitudes towa...
NASA is inviting the public to participate in the #WeTheExplorers campaign by submitting artworks that reflect their spirit of exploration. The artworks will be saved on a chip on the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in September and travel to asteroid Bennu.
The study reveals that asteroids are destroyed when they approach the Sun, explaining discrepancies in meteor stream observations and providing a new perspective on asteroid interiors. The team's discovery allows for the testing of models of asteroid interiors by tracking their orbits and sizes.
Researchers studied video recordings, scientific data, and asteroid orbits to determine the Chelyabinsk superbolide's origin. A possible link between asteroid 2011 EO40 and the Chelyabinsk impactor has been suggested.
A student-built experiment aboard NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has been integrated to study asteroid Bennu's elemental abundances. The Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) will observe solar X-rays and their interaction with the asteroid's surface material, providing maps of elements present on its surface.
The OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA), contributed by the Canadian Space Agency, will create 3-D maps of asteroid Bennu to select a sample collection site. The OLA is an advanced LIDAR system scanning the entire surface of the asteroid for fundamental data on its shape and topography.
A York University-led laser altimeter, OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA), will map the surface and create a 3D model of asteroid Bennu during a NASA mission. The instrument will help guide the spacecraft to a safe spot to grab a sample, providing Canadian scientists with their first direct access to a pristine asteroid sample.
Dr. William Bottke will present on a relatively tranquil time between two violent bombardment phases in the early solar system, exploring evidence from various sources including planet formation models and ancient samples.
A new gamma-ray spectroscope using europium-doped strontium iodide detects valuable minerals in asteroids, moons, and other celestial objects. The breakthrough technology enables accurate analysis of rock-forming elements and precious metals at lower costs and with reduced power requirements.
Recent studies by Michael Hippke and Daniel Angerhausen predict that upcoming missions like TESS and PLATO will uncover planetary moons, ringed worlds similar to Saturn, and large collections of asteroids. These discoveries could provide insights into alien planetary systems similar to our own.
Researchers used a new process to model planetary formation, showing that rocky planets grow from pebbles, resulting in the massive differences between Earth and Mars. The VSPA model explains why Mars is smaller than expected by suggesting that aerodynamic drag prevents pebbles from colliding with objects near the Red Planet.
Researchers found that impacts on Ceres tend to retain large proportions of material, suggesting a homogeneous surface composed of meteoritic material collected over billions of years. This could have implications for asteroid sample return missions and require careful landing site selection.
The Lucy mission aims to survey the diversity of Trojan asteroids, which are believed to be remnants from the formation of the outer gas giants. The spacecraft will use remote-sensing instruments to study geologic and physical properties of the asteroid targets.
New evidence suggests that a massive asteroid collision with Earth triggered increased volcanic activity in the Deccan region of India. High-resolution argon dating revealed a dramatic increase in eruption rate within 50,000 years of the impact.
New evidence shows that asteroid impact on Earth 66 million years ago accelerated volcanic eruptions in India for hundreds of thousands of years. The eruptions, known as the Deccan Traps, likely suppressed recovery of life for 500,000 years after the KT boundary.
Scientists used computer simulation to discover that asteroids can deliver more water to the lunar surface than the cumulative fall of comets over a billion year period. The study found that asteroids contain a significant proportion of water, effectively protected in their crystal lattice of minerals, and can release it when heated.
The University of Maryland has been awarded $4.5 million to participate in the GROWTH network, which aims to improve understanding of cosmic transients. Undergraduates will analyze telescope data from the network using flipped learning environments and active-learning techniques.
Scientists found regions on the far side of the moon with fractured and porous upper crusts, altered by small asteroid impacts. The research suggests that these impacts increased porosity in some areas, while decreasing it elsewhere.
The OSIRIS-REx camera suite, consisting of PolyCam, MapCam, and SamCam, will enable the spacecraft to image and map Bennu, select a safe sampling site, and collect a sample. The mission is scheduled to launch in September 2016 and will return the largest sample from space since the Apollo lunar missions.
Researchers at Strathclyde University won a prestigious award for their work on the Stardust project, exploring solutions to threats from asteroids and space debris. The €4.1m project, funded by the European Commission, aims to tackle the risks posed by asteroids and ensure a safe future for assets in orbit.
The OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) instrument will help the team select a suitable sampling site on asteroid Bennu by measuring visible and near infrared light. The mission aims to investigate the composition of the early solar system, organic materials, and water.
The OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to ship its instruments to the spacecraft's assembly facility, with a launch date of September 2016. The mission aims to bring back a small sample from asteroid Bennu for study, providing insights into the asteroid's composition and properties.
The OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to deliver crucial instruments for the NASA mission to collect a sample from near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft will map and analyze the asteroid's surface using five key instruments, including cameras, altimeters, thermometers, spectrometers, and an imaging spectrometer.
A new study led by University of Southampton researchers suggests that ocean acidification may not have caused the mass extinction of ammonites and other planktonic calcifiers. The research found that the asteroid impact was the primary cause of the extinctions, but not due to ocean acidification levels being too weak.
New research published by the University of Warwick finds evidence that water-rich asteroids or comets are common around other stars than the Sun. The study suggests that water can be delivered to planets like Earth via these bodies, potentially creating a suitable environment for life to form.
Asteroids formed by capturing millimeter-sized chondrules with gravitational force, which then accumulated like sand in a storm. This process could also explain the formation of protoplanets and terrestrial planets, including Earth.
A NASA-funded SwRI-led research team independently estimated the Moon's age as 4.47 billion years based on shock signatures found in stony meteorites originating from the Main Asteroid Belt. This study provides insights into the last stages of planet formation in the inner solar system.
Scientists have found a record of the ancient Moon-forming giant impact observable in stony meteorites. The team used data analysis and numerical modeling work to infer the Moon formed about 4.47 billion years ago.
Researchers from CSIC have determined the orbit of Annama, a new characterized meteorite, and found similarities with a potentially dangerous asteroid. The study suggests that Annama may be linked to an asteroid of about 400 meters in diameter, posing a potential threat to Earth.
A team of scientists plans to take core samples from the Chicxulub impact crater, 65.5 million years old and associated with the mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs. The expedition will aim to uncover details about the impact and shed light on the mechanisms of large impacts on Earth and other rocky planets.
A research team at the University of Arizona has discovered sulfide chondrules in meteorites, providing evidence for a new type of environment in the early solar system. The discovery sheds light on the formation of elements essential for life, such as carbon and oxygen.
Researchers have discovered tiny magnetic particles in meteorites that retain a faithful record of the magnetic fields generated by their parent bodies. By analyzing these particles, scientists were able to reconstruct the history of magnetic activity on the meteorite parent body and capture the moment when the core finished solidifying.
Researchers capture asteroid magnetic field moments, revealing extended lifetimes and creating mechanisms similar to the Earth's own magnetic field. Ancient meteorites provide a cosmic archaeological mission, shedding light on the magnetic history of asteroids and their impact on the Earth's core future.
A team of scientists found that collisions helped transform initially porous materials into solid asteroids and meteorites by absorbing energy in the porous matrix. This process likely occurred due to electrostatics and shock waves generated by high-velocity collisions, resulting in a cosmic speed limit for colliding objects.
Research suggests asteroid material originated from impacts between embryo planets, resolving long-standing mystery of chondrule formation. Chondrules are abundant in meteorites and similar to spherules formed by impact on Earth and moon.
A new study reveals that dinosaurs remained diverse in European ecosystems until the end of the Cretaceous period. Fossils from Spain, France, and other countries show that meat-eating and plant-eating species were present and thriving during the final few hundred thousand years before the asteroid impact.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham used magnetic levitation to manufacture wax models of tektites, which are tiny glass objects formed by asteroid impacts. The research validates numerical models of spinning droplets and provides new information on tektite formation.
A recent study reveals that many metatherian mammals, including marsupials like opossums, nearly went extinct alongside the dinosaurs. This allowed advanced placental mammals to rise to dominance and become ubiquitous across the globe today.
Scientists created a global geologic and tectonic map of asteroid Vesta, revealing a history of large impacts from massive meteorites. The oldest surviving crust predates the largest impact event, the Veneneia impact, which occurred around 2.1 billion years ago.
Researchers have discovered an unexpected tail on asteroid 62412, which was previously known as a typical asteroid. The discovery reveals that there may be up to 100 active asteroids in the main asteroid belt, shedding light on the processes that cause some asteroids to become active.
Asteroid Patroclus-Menoetius has been found to have a non-spherical shape, with axial ratios indicating a mostly oblate shape. The team's analysis also revealed the asteroid pair's spins were faster when they formed, currently in a doubly synchronous state.
Researchers used super high-speed cannon to simulate collisions on celestial bodies. They found that damage from the impact starts where one would expect, but fails in opposite direction and propagates outward like a blooming flower. The study suggests Vesta's 'belt' formed by an oblique impact.
Researchers from MIT and other institutions found the Procellarum region on the moon's near side was formed by a large plume of magma deep within the moon's interior. The angular outline of the basin could not have been created by an asteroid impact, according to the team.
NASA's Asteroid Initiative aims to protect Earth from potentially hazardous impacts. Citizens participate in forums to discuss detection strategies, planetary defense, and asteroid exploration. The initiative seeks to balance costs, risks, and benefits of human exploration in space.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee discovered that near-Earth asteroid 1950 DA is held together by van der Waals forces, which defy traditional assumptions about asteroid composition. This finding has implications for defending against massive asteroid impacts and may inform strategies for space exploration.
A Curtin University study of a WA meteorite has shed light on the solar system's bombardment history, revealing that asteroid collisions ceased after 3.4 billion years ago due to asteroids being too small or protected by regolith. The research suggests that impacts stopped occurring after this period and remain unchanged until now.
Asteroid impacts were a key factor in shaping early Earth's surface, with large collisions melting and burying the crust. The Hadean eon's geography was heavily reprocessed, with impact-generated melt contributing to the formation of the Moon.
Research suggests that giant asteroid impacts significantly altered the early Earth, mixing and melting its surface. The findings provide new insights into the role of asteroid bombardments in shaping the Hadean Earth's surface.
A new study suggests that dinosaurs' demise was partly due to the perfect storm of environmental upheaval, including volcanic activity, changing sea levels, and varying temperatures. This weakened their food chain, making them vulnerable to extinction.
Leaf-mining insects completely disappeared after the dinosaur extinction event, only to reappear a million years later with diverse damage patterns. The researchers found nine different mine-damage types at Mexican Hat attributable to moths, wasps, and flies, suggesting an influx of novel insect herbivores during the early Paleocene.
Researchers have redefined the asteroid Vesta's internal structure based on Dawn data and simulations, questioning previous models of rocky planet formation. The study found that Vesta's crust is 3 times thicker than expected and lacks olivine, a mineral common in planetary mantles.
A NASA model can predict and visualize the interaction between solar wind, solar radiation, and asteroid surfaces in unprecedented detail. The model adapts to complex activities and provides highly efficient simulations, potentially identifying hazards for human explorers.
Researchers David Trilling and Michael Mommert found asteroid 2011 MD to be 65% empty, consisting of a cloud of rocks or dust with a solid rock at its nucleus. This challenges long-held assumptions about the nature of small asteroids.
A new analysis by NASA-funded researchers suggests that vitamin B3 could have originated from carbon-rich meteorites. The team found high levels of vitamin B3 and related molecules in eight different meteorites, which support the theory that extraterrestrial sources may have assisted the origin of life.
The OSIRIS-REx mission aims to find answers about the early solar system and organic materials that made life possible. The spacecraft will collect at least 2 ounces of asteroid samples and return them to Earth for scientists to study.
A French, American team of researchers has discovered that the regolith of small asteroids is formed by thermal fatigue, a process caused by temperature cycling. This finding challenges previous theories that suggested impacts and micrometeoroid impacts were responsible for creating the asteroid's surface.
The Hubble Space Telescope has photographed an asteroid, P/2013 R3, breaking apart into as many as ten smaller pieces. The fragments are drifting away from each other at a leisurely 1.5 kilometers per hour, likely due to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect.
Asteroid P/2013 R3 broke apart into 10 smaller pieces as it approached the sun, with fragments drifting away at a leisurely pace. Scientists believe the asteroid's weak interior and gradual rotation rate may be responsible for its disintegration.
Astronomers have witnessed the first-ever breakup of an asteroid into as many as 10 smaller pieces using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The discovery suggests that sunlight may be responsible for this type of disintegration, which is a subtle effect known as YORP torque.