Articles tagged with Meteoroids
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have redated a meteor impact site in Oklahoma, shifting its age from 467.5 million years ago to 370 million years ago. This discovery has significant implications for understanding ancient life and mass extinctions.
New research finds Mars' mantle preserves a record of its violent beginnings, with chunky layers containing ancient fragments up to 4km wide. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of rocky planets and challenges current understanding of planetary formation.
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.
Researchers successfully used seismic signals to detect the re-entry of a Hayabusa2 sample capsule and compare it with signals from natural meteoroids. The study found that intact objects had a distinct seismic signature compared to fragmented ones, providing valuable information on planetary defense strategies.
A study by Elizabeth Silber finds that infrasound sensors can accurately track the path of space debris entering Earth's atmosphere when it enters at a steep angle. However, when the object enters horizontally, the accuracy decreases, highlighting the need to consider its trajectory when interpreting data.
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.
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 studied 47 young meteor showers to understand where comets formed in the early solar system. They found that long-period comets often crumbled into gentle accretion conditions, while Jupiter-family comets broke apart under fragmentation, producing diverse asteroid populations.
Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered that Mars experiences around 280-360 meteorite impacts per year, exceeding previous estimates. This new tool, known as a 'cosmic clock,' can help scientists date planetary surfaces across the Solar System more accurately.
A new study using NASA's InSight Lander data reveals that Mars may be getting bombarded by space rocks more frequently than previously estimated. The research team detected eight new impact craters from meteoroids not seen before, including two of the largest impacts ever recorded on the Red Planet.
A team of researchers from the SETI Institute found that heat is responsible for destroying space pebbles, not high-speed collisions. The study used data from NASA's CAMS camera network to determine the age and trajectory of meteor showers, revealing that thermal stresses cause the particles to break apart as they approach the Sun.
Princeton researchers used data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe to determine that a catastrophic event, such as a high-speed collision or gaseous explosion, likely created the Geminids meteoroid stream. This is in contrast to most meteor showers, which originate from comets emitting tails of ice and dust.
A research team led by Dr. Serge Krasnokutski has discovered a reaction pathway that can form peptide chains under cosmic conditions without water. This finding suggests that the origin of peptides could be extraterrestrial in nature, challenging the conventional assumption that life emerged on Earth.
Scientists have debunked a longstanding theory on the Moon's magnetic crust, finding that meteoroid impact plasmas interact weakly with the lunar crust. A numerical study suggests a core dynamo is the most plausible explanation for the magnetisation.
Researchers discovered that the forces of flight through the atmosphere lead to the formation of conical meteorites. The 'Goldilocks' cones have angles that match real-world conical meteorite shapes. This finding sheds light on why many meteorites arrive on Earth in cone-shaped forms.
Scientists found evidence of water vapor in lunar exosphere after analyzing data from NASA's LADEE mission, which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014. The team detected dozens of events where meteoroids struck the Moon's surface, releasing a short-lived water vapor that could be used as a resource for future human explorat...
A study published in JETP Letters reveals that a meteoroid's collision with the Moon creates two dusty plasma clouds due to regolith fragments and molten material interacting with electrons. The clouds' characteristics, such as speed and size, can be observed separately, providing crucial insights for ensuring space flight safety.
Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which Earth's atmosphere breaks down meteors as they approach the planet. The new finding reveals that air particles penetrating the meteor's porous interior can create pockets of high pressure, ultimately leading to the rock's explosion in the upper atmosphere.
Researchers discovered that high-pressure air in front of meteoroids seeps into their pores, cracking them and causing explosions. A unique computer code allowed the team to simulate this phenomenon, explaining why some meteoroids disintegrate before reaching Earth's surface.
Researchers have found that small collisions between comets and Mercury's surface create a lopsided bombardment of tiny dust particles, influencing the planet's very thin atmosphere called an exosphere. The study suggests that specific types of comets, such as Jupiter-family and Halley-type, contribute to this phenomenon.
The LRO camera captured a wild and jittery image due to a sudden cross-track oscillation, indicating a brief violent movement of the left Narrow Angle Camera.
Solar storms can charge up soil in moon's permanently shadowed regions, potentially producing sparks that could vaporize and melt the soil. This process, known as dielectric breakdown, could alter the regolith and provide clues to the moon's history.
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.
Astrophysicists at Penn State University have solved the Lunar Farside Highlands Problem, a long-standing mystery about the absence of maria on the far side of the moon. The researchers found that the difference in crustal thickness between the near and far sides is due to the moon's original formation process.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite was analyzed by an international team of researchers, revealing its composition and origin. The study found that the meteoroid entered Earth's atmosphere at 19 km/s and broke up 30 kilometers above ground, causing widespread damage.
A team of Stanford researchers has successfully tested a device that may help protect satellites from tiny meteoroid collisions. The canopy, which was tested in zero gravity, could potentially be deployed to shield spacecraft from micrometeoroids and interference with electronic equipment.
Astronomers at ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) recorded the spectrum of a bright meteor in 2002, providing insights into meteor emissions and atmospheric chemistry. The spectrum revealed telltale emissions of oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules, as well as constraints on the role of atmospheric chemistry when life started on Earth.
Researchers Mark Boslough and Randy Gladstone suggest that entry of ordinary meteoroids can form dark spots similar to those observed by satellites, contradicting a theory of frequent small comet bombardment. Their study provides evidence for the existence of high-altitude plumes generated by meteors.