[ad_1] Once OSIRIS-REx has landed, a robotic sampling arm will perform Touch-And-Go (TAG) collection. The mission is to collect at least two ounces, or 60 grams, of rocky material. If the first TAG attempt in October does not collect enough material, OSIRIS-REx has onboard nitrogen charges to power two more attempts. The spacecraft is scheduled […]
Category: asteroid
A tiny space rock holds clues about the evolution of life
[ad_1] Researchers have found amino acids in other space rocks, but not at such a high concentration. Perhaps most surprisingly, Asuka 12236 contains more left-handed versions of some amino acids. While there are right-handed and left-handed versions of each amino acid, life as we know it uses only left-handed amino acids to build proteins. Researchers […]
Scientists propose tethering asteroids to prevent Earth impacts
[ad_1] Many proposed anti-asteroid solutions involve knocking them off-course, which carries its own problems — what if you create a fragment that hits Earth regardless? Researchers might have a safer solution. They’ve proposed a system (spotted by Parabolic Arc) that would tether a threatening asteroid to a smaller rock, throwing off the larger body’s center […]
Astronomers spot a strange, first-of-its-kind asteroid near Jupiter
[ad_1] There’s still plenty of opportunity for astronomers to discover strange new objects. Researchers using the University of Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) have found (via Gizmodo) a Trojan asteroid, 2019 LD2, that not only follows an odd orbit ahead of Jupiter but also sports an icy tail — it’s a unique “crossover” […]
Watch a “potentially hazardous asteroid” fly by Earth tonight
[ad_1] An asteroid will hit Earth — it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” Fortunately, the space rock known as 1998 OR2 won’t be crashing your quarantine party, but it’s still considered a potentially hazardous object since it will come within four million miles of Earth. Armchair astronomers can watch a livestream of the […]
The Big Picture: Asteroid Bennu in unprecedented detail
[ad_1] According to NASA, “this is the highest resolution at which a planetary body has been globally mapped.” So while we’ve definitely seen closer up image of Mars and the Moon, that’s only been within a narrow field of view seen by a rover other type of lander — any orbiting craft can’t capture detail […]
NASA hopes OSIRIS-REx data will explain an asteroid’s mini-eruptions
[ad_1] OSIRIS-REx has been surveying Bennu since it arrived on December 3rd, 2018, with the aim of finding a boulder-free landing site. Based on observations so far, scientists have several theories about the eruptions. One is that small fragments of space rock called meteoroids are striking Bennu, dislodging particles. Another explanation is thermal stress fracturing. […]
Europe’s space agency approves the Hera anti-asteroid mission
[ad_1] Hera will carry two CubeSats that can fly extremely close to the asteroid’s surface before touching down. Those briefcase-sized spacecraft will act like drones, capturing vital data about the impact crater and giving scientists data including the mass of the asteroid that will help them deduce its composition. The aim, ESA said, is to […]
NASA and ESA will team up to deflect Earth-bound asteroids
[ad_1] NASA will provide the collider, the Double Asteroid Impact Test (DART). It should launch in summer 2021 and will smack into the smaller of the two Didymos asteroids at about 14,764MPH. An Italian cubesat, LICIACube, will study the moment of impact. After that, the ESA will launch a Hera probe in October 2024 to […]
Arecibo Observatory nets $19 million grant to search for dangerous asteroids
[ad_1] Asteroids that are predicted to come within 5 million miles of the Earth are considered a potential threat by NASA. While that seems like a vast distance, gravity could shift an asteroid’s orbit closer and closer to Earth, eventually resulting in an impact. A proactive approach is certainly preferred for this type of work, […]