Early analysis of the asteroid Bennu sample returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed dust rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. The sample is dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, and reflects the type of rocks found on Earth at mid-ocean ridges. … Read more
Multiple media outlets have misreported the newly released findings from the fifth Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise. These misleading headlines either suggest that the hypothetical scenario used in the exercise was real, or that officials somehow fail the test. (Image credit: Live Science/Shutterstock) Officials from NASA and other international agencies recently completed a pilot test … Read more
A gigantic explosion that shook part of Russia more than a century ago has never been categorically explained. And yet, some scientists believe this could be the result of a very close encounter with a mysterious form of black hole. The extraordinary explosion occurred just after 7 a.m. on June 30, 1980, over the Podkamennaya … Read more
A huge ‘planet killer’ asteroid will make a very close approach to Earth later this week, speeding safely past our planet at a speed of around 93,000 km/h. The ‘potentially hazardous’ mountain-sized object is one of the largest space rocks to pass close to Earth in more than a century – and you can watch … Read more
Is humanity willing to shoot down an asteroid with a 72% chance of hitting Earth within 14 years? Scientists and experts say there is work to be done. When NASA presented the hypothetical scenario, devised by the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, to a group of nearly 100 government representatives, they found that their plan to … Read more
We’ve enjoyed a number of celestial spectacles in recent years – from total solar eclipses to stunning auroras – and yet Earth will soon witness a space event that will trump them all. In the next five years we will be treated to a visit from asteroid 99942 Apophis and it will come close enough … Read more
What if it is likely that a newly discovered asteroid will hit Earth in fourteen years? But that is not everything. This menacing space rock, with a diameter of about 330 to 1,050 feet (or 100 to 320 meters), has just disappeared behind the sun, making crucial observations impossible for the next seven months. In … Read more
A menacing asteroid could bring Earth’s often feuding nations together, at least for a while. Dealing with a large, dangerous asteroid that appears to have our planet in its crosshairs will require a healthy dose of international cooperation, experts say — and it’s best to think about that scenario now, while we have plenty of … Read more
Earth has a “limited willingness” to “rapidly conduct” the necessary space missions to defend itself against a devastating asteroid impact, even with fourteen years’ notice. During an exercise involving multiple U.S. government agencies in April 2024, NASA conducted a so-called “tabletop” game in which participants plotted their response to a 72 percent chance that an … Read more
Earth has a “limited willingness” to “rapidly conduct” the necessary space missions to defend itself against a devastating asteroid impact, even with fourteen years’ notice. During an exercise involving multiple U.S. government agencies in April 2024, NASA conducted a so-called “tabletop” game in which participants plotted their response to a 72 percent chance that an … Read more