Asteroids

Sunset, just before the Vera Rubin Telescope begins nighttime operations. Photo courtesy of NSF

The Rubin Observatory's giant camera is underway, and its goal is: "To answer one question - what is the universe?"

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The Vera Rubin Observatory has begun publishing its first discoveries – supernovae, variable stars and asteroids – ahead of the launch of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a ten-year sky survey.
Meteors hitting Mars. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A bacterium resistant to extreme conditions could survive an asteroid impact and be sent from Mars to space

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A laboratory experiment has found that a particularly hardy bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, is able to survive enormous pressures similar to those created when an asteroid hits Mars – a finding that strengthens the possibility that life can travel between stars.
Asteroids in the central asteroid belt. Illustration NOIRLAB

Rubin Observatory detects giant asteroid spinning at record speed – suggesting it is “rock solid”

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The first scientific article with data from the LSST camera describes a body with a diameter of about 710 meters that completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes, demonstrating the ability of the Rubin Observatory to detect extreme phenomena in the solar system.
A perfect cosmic circle captured by Webb shows a distant spiral galaxy twisted around a closer elliptical galaxy. This Einstein ring provides a glimpse into the warped nature of spacetime. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G.

2025 in Space Summary: Hints of Life, a Commercial Moon, and a Sharper Look at the Risks

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Webb reignited the debate about signs of life on distant planets, the Moon advanced thanks to commercial missions, and Earth's orbit reminded us how crowded and fragile it is – with launches, a nearby asteroid, and preparations
Illustration of two colliding asteroids. Credit: Europlanet / T. Roger

Gaia solves the mystery of asteroid rotation: Collisions and internal friction reveal the structure of "debris piles"

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Analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission reveals a sharp gap in the rotation patterns of asteroids – the result of a struggle between collisions and internal friction – and provides a new tool for deciphering the internal structure
**Translation:** The newly discovered taktites, or “cosmic glass.” Credit: Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

A giant asteroid hit Australia 11 million years ago – but where is the crater?

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Researchers discover rare glass field in South Australia, evidence of previously unidentified powerful collision
A small asteroid almost hit Earth over Antarctica, as it passed within the altitude range of the International Space Station. Illustration: depositphotos.com

So close! A small asteroid passed 428 km above Antarctica

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A space rock 1–3 meters in diameter passed at an altitude similar to the ISS orbit; it was discovered hours after the pass, and observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory allowed for a precise trajectory determination
Scanning electron microscope photograph of a micrometeorite impact crater with a particle of material from the asteroid Bennu.

The asteroid Bennu is a time capsule of materials that testify to its origin and the changes that have occurred over billions of years.

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Three papers by a team of researchers who analyzed samples from OSIRIS-REx, led by the University of Arizona, reveal unprecedented details about the composition and history of asteroid Bennu
A carbonaceous meteorite is about to crash into Earth. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Scientists may have solved a space rock mystery that could change our understanding of the beginnings of life

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An international study has found that carbon-rich meteorites are rare on Earth because they break up in space or burn up in the atmosphere, which could change our understanding of the origin of life.
These images, showing the material ejected from around the near-Earth asteroid that was struck, were taken during the approach (with Didymus at top left) and the receding (with Didymus at top right) of the LICIACube satellite, which flew over the area a few minutes after the impact and recorded its aftermath. The ejection field consists of an asymmetrical cone of dust containing streams and filaments, as well as more than 100 meter-sized rocks ejected in various directions. Credit: NASA's DART team and LICIACube

NASA's DART mission deflected an asteroid – but released a swarm of space rocks

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Astronomers at the University of Maryland have discovered that an unexpected burst of rock fragments released during the DART mission carried with it three times more momentum than the spacecraft itself – a discovery that provides important new insights
The European Space Agency's (ESA) planned NEOMIR space telescope will scan for asteroids approaching Earth while they are hidden by the glare of the sun. In doing so, it will fill a significant blind spot in modern asteroid warning systems. Credit: ESA / Pierre Caril

An asteroid tens of meters in diameter may hit the moon in 2032

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This is the same asteroid that was suspected of potentially hitting Earth, but updated observations rule out the risk of hitting Earth, but leave the possibility of hitting the Moon. ESA presents: Innovative telescope that will detect threats even from the problematic direction
Asteroids hiding between the orbit of Venus and the Sun. Illustration by Avi Blizovsky via DALEE. The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not a scientific image.

Three 'hidden' asteroids behind Venus highlight the danger of uncharted skies

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While not an immediate threat, the discovery of three rare asteroids in inner orbit around the sun reveals the difficulty of identifying objects that could endanger Earth – and reinforces the need for dedicated telescopes like
Asteroid Donaldjohansson as captured by Lucy's L'LORRI camera. This is one of the most detailed images Lucy has taken during its flyby. It was taken on April 20.4.25, 1,100 from a distance of about XNUMX km. The image has been sharpened and processed to improve contrast. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab

Lucy spacecraft captures ice cream cone-shaped asteroid

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Asteroid encounter reveals 150-million-year-old fracture: The Lucy spacecraft took stunning images of the asteroid Donaldjohansson, revealing it to be a pair in contact, in the unusual shape of an "ice cream cone" with two spheres.
Lucy will study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids – considered "fossils of the planet formation process." Credit: NASA

The Lucy spacecraft is preparing for a fascinating encounter tomorrow (Sunday) with a mysterious space relic

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The Lucy spacecraft will make a close flyby of the asteroid Donald Johanson on April 20, a systems practice before arriving at Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.
Near-Earth asteroid. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Asteroid 2024 YR4: Chances of collision with Earth in 2032 increased to 2.3%

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NASA and international scientists are monitoring new data to determine the risk of a collision and potential impacts. Since it is a short-range event, actions to deal with it have already begun. Among other things, China has launched a campaign to recruit experts for the "protection" team.
An asteroid is about to hit Earth. Illustration: depositphotos.com

NASA is tracking a skyscraper-sized asteroid with a 1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032

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Asteroid 2024 YR4 has been identified by NASA with a low chance – just over 1% – of colliding with Earth in December 2032. Scientists continue to collect data and refine calculations to assess the true risk.
This artist's impression shows NEO Surveyor in deep space. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NEO Surveyor Mission: NASA's Pioneering Planetary Defense Effort

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A poster depicting all the compounds discovered in the OSIRIS-REx sample. Credit: NASA

Nitrogen-containing organic compounds that support life were discovered in abundance on the asteroid

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NASA's Dawn spacecraft took this image of Vesta as it left orbit around the giant asteroid in 2012. The camera looked down at the North Pole, in the center of the image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

What is hidden in Vesta's channels? Evidence of transient fluids in the giant asteroid

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Large asteroids collide with Earth. The illustration was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

Two huge asteroids hit the Earth 35 million years ago - and did not change anything

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New research reveals that massive asteroid impacts, which created two of the largest craters on Earth, did not cause long-term climate changes
Over 100 meteors were recorded in this composite image taken during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower in 2014. Credit: NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser, NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.

The Geminids: The fastest and brightest meteors of the year reach their peak tonight, worth watching despite the moon

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The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft will perform an acceleration maneuver near Mars and also explore it. Figure: European Space Agency.

The engines of the spacecraft Hera were ignited on its journey towards the asteroid Didymus

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Hera - the European Space Agency's asteroid exploration mission will once again reach the asteroid it visited and which was diverted by the DART spacecraft
This image taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope shows Comet Anka moving through its debris orbit. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Minnesota

What is the level of risk from the "doomsday" asteroid swarm?

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A new study shows that the Taurid swarm contains fewer large asteroids than predicted, so the risk level from it is lower.
El Médano 128 meteorite, a regular chondrite (L group), was found in the Atacama Desert in 2011 by a team of researchers from the Research and Teaching Center for Environmental Geosciences (CEREGE - University of Aix-Marseille/CNRS/INRAE/IRD). Credit: © Jérôme Gatakzka, CNRS, CEREGE

70% of the meteorites that landed on Earth came from a small number of collisions in the asteroid belt

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A new study reveals that most of the meteorites on Earth were formed as a result of collisions that occurred in the asteroid belt in the last tens of millions of years. The discovery provides new insights into the origins of meteorites and the possible threat to Earth
An artist's illustration depicts a primordial black hole (left) speeding across the surface of Mars and causing a slight "tremor" in Mars' orbit (right), with the sun in the background. Scientists from MIT claim that such a tremor may be detectable with the instruments available today. Credit: Illustration by Benjamin Lehmann, used with SpaceEngine @ Cosmographic Software LLC.

Dark matter: primordial black holes and the mysterious wobble of Mars' orbit

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These holes, which are theoretical remnants of the early universe, may be detectable every decade as they pass through the solar system, offering a new way to study the elusive dark matter
Comet attack on young earth. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mysterious Travelers: Are We Drinking Water Brought by Dark Comets?

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Could asteroids, which are remnants of comets, be one of the main sources of water on Earth?
The preplanetary disk around the young star HL Tauri. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), NSF

Target board or donut? Iron meteorites reveal the early form of our solar system

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The formation of our solar system involved the accretion of gas and dust into a preplanetary disk, with meteorites providing important insights into its early composition.
Spacecraft satellites and space debris in orbit around the Earth. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New algorithms will make it possible to increase the warning before a dangerous collision in space and at sea

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The space between the Earth and the Moon is going to become extremely crowded during the next 10 years. With NASA's planned missions in the Artemis program and other countries participating in the space race in this region, there is a lot of interest
Hubble Space Telescope image of the barred spiral galaxy UGC 12158. The majestic galaxy has a pinwheel shape consisting of bright blue stars surrounding a yellow-white concentration of central stars. This concentration has a diagonal line of stars across it, called a bar. The galaxy is tilted inward to our view from Earth. A white S-shaped line slightly across the top is the Hubble image of an asteroid hovering across the field of view.. It looks dashed because the image is a composite of several exposures of the asteroid flying like a race car. Credit: NASA, ESA, PG Martín (Autonomous University of Madrid), J. DePasquale (STScI). Credits: A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley)

Discovering new asteroids in old Hubble images

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Astronomers re-examined 37,000 images taken by Hubble over 19 years of objects in deep space. The reward was finding 1701 asteroid orbits in the asteroid belt, of which 1031 are uncatalogued asteroids. About 400 of the asteroids are not
Illustration of the crater created during the collision between the DART spacecraft and the Dimorphos asteroid. In the background: the European HERA spacecraft and its nanosatellites (CubeSats) in follow-up research. Credit: ESA Science Office

repel the asteroid

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Technion researchers are partners in the HERA space mission: first attempt in history to divert an asteroid from its orbit
The sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after it landed in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense Test and Training Range in Utah. (Image credit: NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA's OSIRIS-REx capsule containing asteroid soil samples has landed safely in Utah and been moved to a clean room

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The Osiris-Rex probe returns to Earth small samples of the asteroid Beno, a "real small world" for analysis
This figure illustrates how an interstellar object is rapidly approaching our solar system. Ejected from its home planet system long ago, the object traveled through interstellar space for billions of years before passing briefly in our cosmic neighborhood. The Robin Observatory will reveal many of these unknown interstellar visitors.

Visitors from distant stars: The Rubin Observatory will detect a multitude of interstellar objects moving through our solar system

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The Vera Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will revolutionize solar system science by discovering a population of previously undiscovered interstellar comets and asteroids passing through the neighborhood
Artist illustration of asteroid 16 Psyche Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

The precious metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche may not be a solid lump of metal after all but a pile of rocks

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The researchers based their work on previous observational data that showed the asteroid is primarily a mixture of three components: metal, low-iron pyroxene and carbonaceous chondrite. A laboratory experiment led the researchers to the conclusion that density
The asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Illustration: Image by K. Kliche from Pixabay

The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hit at the worst possible angle and therefore caused maximum damage

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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Conceptual Image Lab at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA's James Webb Telescope will investigate the beginnings of our solar system

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A photograph of the Beno asteroid from the cameras of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, from an altitude of about 80 km. Photo: NASA

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft arrives at asteroid 'Beno'

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This dynamic image was taken by the 1A probe on September 22 at around 11:44 Japan time (15:44 Israel time). The image shows the surface of the asteroid Ryugo during a jump. In the left half of the image, the surface of Ryogo is visible, while the bright spot on the left side was created as a result of exposure to sunlight. Photo: Yabusa 2 project, Japanese space agency JAXA.

The Japanese probes that landed on an asteroid renewed contact with Earth and transmitted images and data

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Towards the landing of MASCOT on the asteroid Ryogo from the spacecraft Yabosa 2: the operation manager talks about the planning

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An artist's impression of the first interstellar asteroid Oumuamua, a unique object discovered on October 19, 2017 by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii. Image: NASA

The cigar-shaped object that arrived outside the solar system is an extinct comet, not an asteroid or an alien spacecraft

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The asteroid Florence and its two small moons, in a different and detailed photo taken by the radar of the Arecibo Observatory. Source: NAICObservatory/NASA.

Greetings from Florence

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Israeli researchers propose a hypothesis that the Trojan asteroids of Mars were formed as a result of a giant collision. Image: pixabay.

What is the origin of the Martian Trojan asteroids?

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A visualization showing Nas' two new missions - Lucy and Seiki.

Meet Lucy and Seiki: NASA's New Space Missions

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Imaging of the Osiris-Rex probe collecting a sample from the Bennu asteroid. Source: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab.

A seven-year journey to retrieve sixty grams of an asteroid

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Imaging of the Osiris-Rex probe

NASA will launch the Osiris-Rex probe to return a sample from an asteroid to Earth

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Asteroid 2016 HO3 has an orbit around the Sun that keeps it a constant companion of Earth. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A new permanent companion of the Earth ("Moon") has been discovered

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Jupiter - shutterstock rendering of an original NASA image

A small blow to a large planet

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The dwarf planet's surface has collapsed as photographed by the orbiting DAWN spacecraft. The white substance inside the crater is a type of salt. Photo: NASA

The mystery of Cress is solved

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Illustration of the meteorite impact that caused the unique double crater in Sweden. Credit: Don Dixon/Erik Sturkell/University of Gothenburg

For the first time, a double impact crater was found on Earth

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Asteroid threatens Earth. Image: Jaroslava V/Shutterstock

Three of the judges of the international court will come to the space conference in Israel and hold a mock trial

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The asteroid Chariklo. ESO/L. Calçada/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org)

Rings were discovered around an asteroid for the first time

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