Tag Archive for 'Near-Earth object'

Earth’s Quasi-Satellite Kamooalewa Could Be Fragment of the Moon

Nov 12, 2021 by Natali Anderson

Using the Large Binocular Telescope and the Lowell Discovery Telescope, astronomers have conducted a comprehensive physical characterization of the near-Earth...

This is an artist's impression of a rocky and water-rich asteroid being torn apart by the strong gravity of the white dwarf star GD 61. Image credit: Mark A. Garlick, Space-art.co.uk / University of Warwick / University of Cambridge.

NASA’s Planetary Radar Spots Its 1,000th Near-Earth Asteroid

Sep 6, 2021 by News Staff

2021 PJ1, a near-Earth asteroid between 20 and 30 m (66-98 feet) across, safely flew past Earth on August 14, 2021 at a distance of over 1.7 million km...

Relatively Large Near-Earth Asteroid to Fly Safely Past Our Planet on March 21

Mar 12, 2021 by News Staff

2001 FO32, a near-Earth asteroid discovered two decades ago, will fly safely past Earth on March 21, 2021, at a distance of about 2 million (1.25 million...

This image, taken with the Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope, shows the near-Earth asteroid 1998 KY26. Image credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

Subaru Telescope Captures Images of Near-Earth Asteroid 1998 KY26

Dec 18, 2020 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope have produced spectacular images of 1998 KY26, a future asteroid target of JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft. This...

This image, taken with the 8-m Gemini North telescope on Hawaii’s Maunakea, shows Earth’s minimoon 2020 CD3 (center, point source). The image combines three images each obtained using different filters to produce this color composite. Image credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / G. Fedorets.

Earth’s Second Known Minimoon is Natural Object, Astronomers Say

Nov 25, 2020 by News Staff

In a new paper published in the Astronomical Journal, astronomers from the United States, Canada and Europe provide a detailed characterization of the...

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at asteroid Bennu. Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

New Studies Detail Complex History of Near-Earth Asteroid Bennu

Oct 9, 2020 by News Staff

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) mission to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu is...

(3122) Florence will pass safely by Earth on September 1, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles. Image credit: University of Colorado.

Asteroid 2020 SW Flew Safely Past Earth Today

Sep 24, 2020 by News Staff

A small near-Earth asteroid designated 2020 SW made its closest approach to Earth today at 7:12 a.m. EDT (4:12 a.m. PDT) at a distance of about 22,000...

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is on a mission to explore the asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth. Image credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab.

OSIRIS-REx Team Explores Activity of Asteroid Bennu

Sep 10, 2020 by News Staff

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, launched in 2016, is currently orbiting the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu with the aim of briefly touching on the...

2020 QG (circled streak) was detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility on August 16, 2020. Image credit: ZTF / Caltech Optical Observatories.

Tiny Near-Earth Asteroid Makes Closest Fly-By of Earth on Record

Aug 19, 2020 by News Staff

A small near-Earth asteroid designated 2020 QG safely flew past our planet on August 16 at 12:08 a.m. EDT (August 15 at 9:08 p.m. PDT) at a distance of...

Hayabusa-2 image of the asteroid Ryugu as seen from a distance of 3.7 miles. A particularly large crater is visible near the center of the image. Image credit: JAXA / University of Tokyo / Kochi University / Rikkyo University / Nagoya University / Chiba Institute of Technology / Meiji University / University of Aizu / AIST.

Hayabusa-2 Reveals Surface of Near-Earth Asteroid Ryugu in Stunning Detail

May 11, 2020 by News Staff

JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft recently traveled to the near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu to collect samples and return them to Earth for lab analysis....

2020 CD3 is estimated to be only between one and six meters across. Image credit: Jonny Lindner.

Earth Has New, Temporary Moon: 2020 CD3

Feb 27, 2020 by The Conversation

The Minor Planet Centre has just announced that our planet has been orbited by a second moon for the past three years or so. Designated 2020 CD3, the object...

Range-Doppler radar image (colorized) of the binary near-Earth asteroid 2020 BX12. Image credit: Arecibo Observatory.

Arecibo Observatory Reveals Near-Earth Asteroid 2020 BX12 Has Large Moon

Feb 20, 2020 by News Staff

Astronomers using a radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory have captured the first images of the recently-discovered near-Earth asteroid 2020 BX12....

This image (colorized), taken by the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON), shows the near-Earth asteroid 2019 OK. Image credit: S. Schmalz / ISON.

Astronomers Snap Images of Near-Earth Asteroid 2019 OK

Aug 7, 2019 by News Staff

Using several telescopes of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON), astronomers have captured a series of images of the recently-discovered...

An illustration of an asteroid in space. Image credit: NASA / JPL / Caltech.

Big Asteroid Buzzed Past Earth Last Week: 2019 OK

Jul 31, 2019 by The Conversation

A 330-foot- (100 m) wide asteroid designated 2019 OK passed just 43,500 miles (70,000 km) from Earth on July 25, 2019. It was discovered by the Brazilian...

A bi-static radar image of the binary asteroid 2017 YE5 from the Arecibo Observatory and the Green Bank Observatory on June 25, 2018. Image credit: Arecibo / GBO / NSF / NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Astronomers Spot Rare Binary Asteroid: 2017 YE5

Jul 13, 2018 by News Staff

New observations by NASA’s Goldstone Solar System Radar in California, Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia...

Artist’s concept of a near-Earth asteroid. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

2018 LA: Boulder-Sized Asteroid Disintegrates over Botswana

Jun 6, 2018 by News Staff

A 6-foot (2 m) wide asteroid called 2018 LA disintegrated harmlessly over Botswana, Africa, just hours after its discovery on Saturday morning (June 2,...

Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster as seen by the ATLAS telescope. Image credit: University of Hawaii.

Astronomers Spot Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster in Flight

Feb 17, 2018 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope on Mauna Loa in Hawaii have captured images of the Tesla Roadster...

Two Asteroids Flew Safely Past Earth This Week

Feb 9, 2018 by News Staff

2018 CC and 2018 CB — two small asteroids recently discovered by NASA-funded astronomers — safely flew past our planet this week. This is an...

Itokawa’s curious, varied terrain and lack of impact craters indicate it is a rubble pile asteroid. Image credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Asteroid Itokawa Had Violent Past, Planetary Researchers Say

Oct 26, 2017 by Enrico de Lazaro

New research has shed light on the collisional history of one of the most famous asteroids. Itokawa’s curious, varied terrain and lack of impact craters...

2012 TC4 appears as a dot at the center of this composite image of 37 individual 50-second exposures obtained with the FORS2 instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in 2012. The asteroid is marked with a circle for a better identification. Image credit: ESO / ESA NEOCC / Olivier Hainaut, ESO / Marco Micheli, ESA / Detlef Koschny, ESA.

Small Asteroid 2012 TC4 to Whiz Safely by Earth This Week

Oct 11, 2017 by News Staff

Back in October 2012, a small (45-100 feet, or 15-30 m) asteroid known as 2012 TC4 had a close encounter with Earth. It passed our planet at a distance...

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