Asteroids
The Link Between Asteroids and Meteorites
In theory, asteroids and meteorites are made of the same basic elements; it's just that asteroids are much much bigger.…
Fast Moving New Horizons Tracks an Asteroid
Still a decade away from its final meeting with Pluto, New Horizons tested out its instruments on a relatively nearby…
Earth’s Second Moon is About to Leave Us
In addition to the Moon, the Earth also has a collection of co-orbital satellites. These are really nothing more than…
Science Team Determines Composition of Asteroid Itokawa
Asteroid Itokawa. Image credit: JAXA. Click to enlarge Itokawa, a spud-shaped, near-Earth asteroid, consists mainly of the minerals olivine and…
Searching For Crater Chains on the Earth
Aorounga impact crater. Image credit: NASA/JPL. Click to enlarge Comet 73P/Schwassmann Wachmann 3 is a beautiful sight in the night…
Don Quijote Will Reach Out and Impact an Asteroid
Impacts with very large asteroids are uncommon. Image credit: ESA Click to enlarge Asteroids don't hit the Earth often, but…
Binary Icy Asteroid in Jupiter’s Orbit
UC Berkeley researchers have performed a detailed analysis on a binary pair of asteroids circling near Jupiter's orbit, and believe…
Asteroid Broke Up 8.2 Million Years Ago
Astronomers think they've found evidence that an asteroid broke up about 8.2 million years ago, scattering dust around the Solar…
Kuiper Belt Moons Might Be More Common
Just a few years ago, Pluto was considered unusual for Kuiper Belt Objects because it has a moon. Now three…
Podcast: Gravity Tractor Beam for Asteroids
Forget about nuclear weapons, if you need to move a dangerous asteroid, you should use a tractor beam. Think that's…