On Dec. 6, 2020, after six years in space, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft will finally return to Earth. Source: https://www.livescience.com/hayabusa2-return-to-earth-piece-of-asteroid.html
Tag: asteroid
Scientists characterize second known minimoon
Astronomers using data collected with the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) have helped to characterize only the second known minimoon of Earth, a newly discovered asteroid with the designation 2020 CD3, or CD3 for short. The LDT observations helped to clarify both the rotation rate and the orbit of this diminutive body, the latter of which helped prove that CD3 is a…
Werner Herzog On Asteroids, Star Wars, and the ‘Obscenity’ of a City On Mars
78-year-old filmmaker Werner Herzog shared some interesting thoughts before the release of his new documentary on asteroids, Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds now available on Apple TV+. From Herzog’s new interview with the science site inverse: Herzog tells Inverse he’s less concerned than ever that a meteorite will destroy the Earth, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be worried about…
Does Jupiter’s moon Europa have geysers? If so, what’s their source?
If watery plumes do burst from Europa’s surface, they might originate not in the moon’s underground ocean, but instead in pockets of brine trapped in the moon’s crust. If that’s so, it could be a source of frustration for those who want to probe Europa’s ocean for possible life. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/jupiter-moon-europa-plumes-salty-water-in-crust…
Dinosaurs Were Not on the Way Out Before Asteroid Hit, Study Claims
New analysis has refuted the claim that dinosaurs were in decline at the time of their extinction. If an asteroid had not hit Earth 66m years ago, dinosaurs might have continued to dominate the planet, according to new research. From a report: A team from the University of Bath and the UK National History Museum has published a study to Royal…
Wilkes-Barre campus observatory used to report asteroid data to NASA
Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s observatory recently observed an stellar event and shared data with NASA for use on a future mission to an unexplored region of the solar system. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-wilkes-barre-campus-observatory-asteroid-nasa.html…
This asteroid just skimmed Earth’s atmosphere
The asteroid – 2020 VT4 – is estimated to be between 16 and 36 feet (5-11 meters). It skimmed the top of our atmosphere on Friday, November 13, 2020. Astronomers spotted it one day later. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-2020-vt4-skimmed-atmosphere-fri-nov-13-2020…
Apophis asteroid might be more likely to strike Earth in 2068 than thought
David Tholen, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii, recently reported on the status of asteroid Apophis during a virtual meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences. During his presentation, he outlined research he and his team conducted regarding the path of the asteroid and the likelihood that it will strike Earth. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-apophis-asteroid-earth-thought.html…
Earth may have captured a stray 1960s-era rocket booster
Earth has captured a tiny object from its orbit around the sun and will keep it as a temporary satellite for a few months before it escapes back to a solar orbit. But the object is likely not an asteroid; it’s probably the Centaur upper stage rocket booster that helped lift NASA’s ill-fated Surveyor 2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966….
Asteroid Apophis is speeding up as scientists recalculate odds of 2068 impact
Astronomers say they’ll have to keep an eye on the near-Earth asteroid Apophis to see how much of a danger the space rock poses to our planet during a close pass in 2068. Source: https://www.livescience.com/asteroid-apophis-acceleration-2068-impact-chance.html