Articles tagged with Asteroids
The SwRI-led ISET team will study the origin, evolution, and physical properties of near-Earth asteroids and their moons, aiming to better understand their potential for cost-effective human exploration. The research will also investigate minimoons, small bodies with the potential to provide insights into the history of the Solar System.
Astronomers found a water-rich asteroid orbiting an exhausted star, indicating the presence of Earth-like exoplanets. The discovery suggests that the star GD 61 had the potential to contain habitable planets, with water and rocky surfaces being key ingredients.
A University of Tennessee professor helped discover that a near-Earth object is actually a comet, not an asteroid. The body, 3552 Don Quixote, contains water ice and has a coma and tail, suggesting it may be the source of Earth's water.
A Northern Arizona University-led team used the Spitzer Space Telescope to detect cometary activity in asteroid (3552) Don Quixote, a near-Earth object that was previously thought to be dead. The discovery suggests that water and carbon dioxide ice deposits may still exist on other near-Earth asteroids.
The OSIRIS-REx mission will study asteroid Bennu in detail before returning with a sample of material from its surface. The spacecraft will map the asteroid's composition from orbit using spectrometers to identify key elements like water, metals, and organic carbon.
Dolores H. Hill, a NASA scientist, has been selected by the White House as a Citizen Science Champion of Change for her work on the Target Asteroids project. The project aims to engage amateur astronomers in tracking near-Earth objects and improve our understanding of asteroids.
A Purdue University-led team has mapped the location and development of mass concentrations, or mascons, on the lunar surface, resolving a decades-long mystery. The findings provide valuable insights into the moon's origin and evolution and will aid in navigating future lunar missions.
Researchers have found evidence of building blocks for Earth-sized planets in the atmospheres of two burned-out stars called white dwarfs. The silicon and low levels of carbon in these dead stars suggest that asteroid-like debris is falling onto them, potentially creating rocky planet assembly around stars.
Astronomers have found signs of rocky material in the atmospheres of two dead stars, suggesting that terrestrial planets may still exist. The debris detected around these white dwarfs is thought to be the remains of asteroids that were shredded by the star's gravity.
Researchers have devised a way to detect and track asteroid collisions in interplanetary space using a new method to measure the mass of magnetic clouds created by impacts. This technique could help scientists better understand where to find new meteoroid debris that poses a threat.
Researchers found lower than expected levels of iridium and osmium at the K-Pg boundary, contradicting the asteroid impact theory. A comet explanation reconciles this with evidence of a massive crater.
Researchers found a new class of dust motion on the moon, where charged particles swarm like bees around partially shaded regions. This phenomenon creates oscillations over 1-10 meter-sized shaded regions, with dust bouncing back and forth between sunlit areas.
Iowa State University engineers are working on a $500 million test launch of an asteroid intercept system, which could use nuclear devices to break apart incoming asteroids. The system, developed by Bong Wie's Asteroid Deflection Research Center, has the potential to save Earth from devastating asteroid impacts.
The University of Calgary has launched a satellite to track near-Earth asteroids, enabling researchers to study these rare and difficult-to-detect objects. The NEOSSat satellite will enable scientists to take hundreds of sensitive images daily to search for moving dots of light that represent asteroids.
Astronomers have observed a main-belt comet trail caused by an impulsive short-lived event around July 1st, 2011. The dust structure reveals physical properties of particles and proportions of different sizes.
Researchers have found an asteroid belt surrounding Vega, a star similar to the Sun, and believe multiple planets are orbiting it. The discovery was made using Infrared Space Telescopes, which detected infrared light emitted by warm and cold dust in discrete regions around the stars.
A new study on the Sutter's Mill meteorite suggests that asteroid surfaces are more complex than previously thought, with a diverse mixture of rocks and minerals. The research, published in Science, used advanced imaging techniques to analyze the meteorite's mineralogy and structure, revealing unexpected diversity and complexity.
Scientists studying a rare meteorite from the outer asteroid belt discovered it has a unique, diverse composition, shedding light on the asteroid's surface processes. The Sutter's Mill meteorite is an ideal sample for preparing cosmochemists for upcoming space missions.
Researchers at UC Davis study a rare meteorite, the fastest and rarest known to hit Earth, providing insights into the formation of planets. The team uses advanced techniques to analyze the meteorite's composition and internal structures.
A new study found that the asteroid collision that killed the dinosaurs also led to the extinction of a newly identified lizard species, Obamadon gracilis. The impact wiped out nearly 83% of all snake and lizard species, with no species larger than one pound surviving.
Asteroid belts may play a key role in the evolution of complex life. According to a NASA study, only a tiny fraction of planetary systems seem to have giant planets in the right location to produce an asteroid belt of the appropriate size. This suggests that our solar system may be special.
Scientists discover unique space weathering process on asteroid Vesta, distinct from other asteroids like the Moon, where meteorite impacts mix soils mechanically rather than forming nanoparticles.
Scientists found that carbon-rich asteroids have been splattering dark material on Vesta's surface over billions of years, creating a youthful appearance. The protoplanet's bright outer layer remains pristine, with tiny metallic particles absent, indicating minimal weathering.
Researchers found that pre-Cretaceous ecosystem changes and environmental factors led to more fragile communities in late Cretaceous North America. The study's findings suggest that human-made changes to modern ecosystems could worsen their ability to withstand disturbances, emphasizing the importance of understanding ecological function.
The University of Strathclyde is launching a new training network, 'Stardust', to tackle space debris and asteroid deflection with 14 European partners. The programme will provide significant advances in protecting the planet from these hazards.
Researchers found that asteroid Vesta's extensive system of troughs is likely the result of faults formed by a large collision. The troughs' unique characteristics, such as flat floors and distinct walls, suggest a fault moving apart, rather than simple cracking on the surface.
Scientists discovered two closely timed extinctions, one triggered by massive volcanic eruptions and another by an asteroid impact. The eruptions, which occurred 300,000 to 200,000 years before the asteroid hit, warmed the planet and killed marine life.
Hayabusa 2 aims to collect samples from the asteroid's surface, which may preserve water and amino acids. The mission hopes to provide clearer insight into the early days of the solar system than previous meteorite samples.
Researchers analyzed meteorite fragments from Tagish Lake in Canada and found large left-hand excesses of aspartic acid, an amino acid used by life, while alanine showed a much smaller excess. The team suggests that liquid water inside asteroids may favor the production of left-handed proteinogenic amino acids.
A team of scientists from Cardiff University and GEUS discovered a 100km-wide, 3-billion-year-old impact crater in West Greenland. The crater's effects were visible deep within the Earth's crust, allowing researchers to study impact processes nearly a billion years further back.
A University of Tennessee professor has helped reveal a rare orbital shift and the density of an asteroid that will pass close to Earth. The asteroid, 1999 RQ36, has a low density and its orbit has drifted roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to the Yarkovsky effect.
Scientists have directly measured the Yarkovsky effect on asteroid 1999 RQ36, a subtle force causing it to drift from its gravity-ruled orbit. The measurements show the asteroid has deviated by roughly 100 miles over 12 years, revealing its low density and making it an ideal target for the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Scientists with the OSIRIS-REx mission have measured the orbit of asteroid 1999 RQ36 with great accuracy, directly determining the drift resulting from the Yarkovsky effect. The asteroid has deviated from its gravity-ruled orbit by roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to this subtle force.
A team of researchers discovered that a giant impact crater on Asteroid Vesta was formed in a recent collision. The analysis of high-resolution images from the Dawn spacecraft suggests that the impact occurred only about 1 billion years ago, which is unexpectedly young considering Vesta's formation age.
New findings from NASA's Dawn spacecraft provide the first geological overview of asteroid (4)Vesta, confirming two giant impact basins in its southern hemisphere. The surface is complex and varied, with abundant impact craters and preserved ejecta blankets, but no evidence of volcanic features.
Researchers have discovered a series of ancient rock layers containing impact debris from massive asteroids that struck Earth over 3.8-1.7 billion years ago. The findings suggest an intense period of asteroid bombardment, with some impacts rivaling those that created the largest craters on the Moon.
Researchers have developed a new technique to analyze spherules embedded in rock layers, providing precise information about asteroids impacting Earth between 3.5 billion and 35 million years ago. The findings support a theory that the early Earth endured an intense period of asteroid bombardment.
Scientists discovered tiny organisms thriving deep beneath a US asteroid impact site, supporting the idea that crater environments can harbor microbes. The researchers believe similar conditions exist on Mars, with drilling beneath craters potentially uncovering signs of life.
Researchers found amino acids in 14 carbon-rich meteorites with high temperatures, suggesting high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch reactions created them. These reactions produce prebiotic components of life using hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen.
A team of researchers from Harvard and MIT suggests that massive asteroid collision is responsible for the Moon's magnetic anomalies. The anomaly is found around the rim of a 2,400-kilometer-diameter crater known as South Pole-Aitken.
The study suggests a massive cloud of trillions of asteroids and comets surrounds Sgr A*, where they are vaporized by friction as they pass through the hot gas flowing onto the black hole. The flares observed by Chandra could be explained by the frequent collision of asteroids with the black hole.
Researchers successfully stabilized electron orbits using an electromagnetic field, mimicking Jupiter's gravitational influence on asteroids. The experiment verifies calculations made at Vienna University of Technology and holds promise for future studies on the quantum-world of tiny objects.
The average global temperatures and illumination models suggest that roughly half of Vesta's surface is cold and dark enough for water ice to survive. The polar regions are thought to be favorable for water ice existence, but may be buried beneath a layer of dry regolith.
A new theory suggests that high-speed collisions between planets and asteroids near supermassive black holes create microscopic dust clouds. This process blocks harmful radiation, creating a more hospitable environment for life in the galaxy's central region.
Researchers found that the Lutetia asteroid is a dense, intact relic dating back to the solar system's formation. The asteroid's density was calculated using a mathematical method developed by Professor Mikko Kaasalainen, revealing a large and metallic core surrounded by a more porous outer layer.
Researchers found two moons orbiting the triple asteroid Minerva, offering insights into its formation and structure. The discovery sheds light on how large asteroids in the main-belt form, suggesting they are composed of rubble held together by gravity.
Researchers analyze asteroid dust brought back by Hayabusa spacecraft, confirming stony asteroids are birthplace of most meteorites. The discovery sheds light on the history of early solar system events and provides a new understanding of the origin of ordinary chondrites.
Researchers found adenine and guanine, key components of DNA, in meteorites, providing evidence they were created in space. The discovery supports the theory that a 'kit' of prebiotic material was delivered to Earth by meteorite impacts.
The University of Tennessee is part of a $800 million NASA mission to collect samples from asteroid 1999 RQ36, which may hold clues to the origin of life. The mission aims to investigate organic molecules and water on the asteroid, potentially hazardous to Earth.
Researchers analyzed a pristine meteorite, finding that its organic compounds changed over time due to asteroid geology changes. Amino acids and monocarboxylic acids were present, essential for the evolution of first life forms on Earth.
Scientists discovered diverse amino acid amounts in Tagish Lake meteorites, suggesting water alteration played a role in their formation. The findings provide new insights into pre-biotic chemistry on asteroids and may impact our understanding of the origin of life on Earth.
Jupiter's Grand Tack model reveals the planet's youthful travels profoundly impacted the solar system. The giant planet's migration toward and away from the sun altered the nature of the asteroid belt, making Mars smaller than expected. The new model suggests Jupiter perturbed objects in the asteroid belt instead of destroying it.
A CU-Boulder team will participate in the OSIRIS-REx mission, which aims to map and collect samples from a primitive asteroid. The mission is expected to provide insights into the formation of the solar system and potentially shed light on the origins of life.
A UCF scientist is part of a historic mission to retrieve the first-ever sample from an asteroid in orbit. The team will navigate unusual gravity fields and rotate quickly to land on the asteroid, collecting pristine space rock for insights into Earth's origins.
The OSIRIS-REx mission will explore the asteroid 1999 RQ36 for over a year, collecting pristine organic material that may have seeded life on Earth. The returned samples will provide geologic context essential to expanding our understanding of the solar system and likely organic molecules.
The OSIRIS-REx mission aims to study the asteroid 1999 RQ36, a primitive near-Earth object that contains original material from the solar nebula. The mission will return samples to Earth in 2023, providing insights into the solar system's formation and potential biosignatures.
Asteroid Scheila unexpectedly brightened with short-lived plumes after being struck by a smaller asteroid, according to data from NASA's Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope. The collision created a crater 1,000 feet across and ejected over 660,000 tons of dust.
Researchers used oxygen isotope analysis to reconstruct the history of a pea-sized piece of a 4.57 billion-year-old meteorite, providing evidence that dust grains experienced wildly varying environments during planet formation.
A New York City College of Technology research team has developed a method to deflect asteroids using solar sail technology. The technique involves heating the surface of an asteroid to create a jet stream, which would alter its trajectory and potentially convert an Earth impact into a near miss.
A team of researchers found excess left-handed isovaline in a wider range of carbon-rich meteorites, suggesting conditions on asteroids favored the creation of left-handed amino acids. Liquid water appears to be key to this process, and its amplification may have perpetuated a bias toward left-handed life.