Posts tagged asteroid
![Russian Meteor Likely An Apollo Asteroid Chunk
After some very cool sleuthing by two astronomers, the true nature of the Russian meteor has been uncovered. Turns out it has a similar orbit to the Earth-crossing Apollo-class asteroids. This was a warning shot, there’s bigger ones out there [cue Jaws music] Read more](http://24.media.tumblr.com/1567a21a6ac730388b5a9486fe0ba9a6/tumblr_miuf80nP3g1qmkxx9o1_500.jpg)
Russian Meteor Likely An Apollo Asteroid Chunk
After some very cool sleuthing by two astronomers, the true nature of the Russian meteor has been uncovered. Turns out it has a similar orbit to the Earth-crossing Apollo-class asteroids. This was a warning shot, there’s bigger ones out there [cue Jaws music] Read more
It’s a space rock frenzy! In this DNews video, Trace explains what the Russian meteor was all about and I chip in to discuss some asteroid impact mitigation strategies!
What. A. Day.
Ha! Take THAT, asteroid. Didn’t see that coming did you? (Don’t tell your bigger near-Earth space rock buddies though.)
YOUR Help Needed to Hurt an Asteroid
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Refine an asteroid deflection plan that will attempt to bring a little piece of Armageddon to a space rock in 2022. Read more…
WOW! Kudos to China! The nation has become the fourth to have a close encounter with an asteroid in deep space. Go Chang’e-2!
Chinese Probe Buzzes Asteroid Toutatis: …the probe made a close approach of only 3.2 kilometers from the potato-shaped asteroid, traveling at a speed of 10.73 kilometers per second relative to the asteroid. The series of images above depict the asteroid when the probe was between 93-240 kilometers away.
Can’t WAIT to see the hi-res versions!
On Nov. 5, a mile-wide space rock tumbled past Earth. NASA was there to bounce some radio waves off its surface…
Ace Anti-Asteroid Nuke Strikes Twice: As the HAIV speeds toward an asteroid target, the two components will separate. The leader will slam into the surface of the asteroid, excavating a 100-meter wide crater. A split second later, the follower (containing the nuclear weapon) will fly into the fresh hole and then detonate below the surface. Asteroid decimation will ensue.
In 2010, President Obama directed NASA to get astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025, then on to the vicinity of Mars by the mid-2030s.
Our First Line Of Asteroid Defense? Paintballs!
Imagine: An asteroid has been discovered. Scarily, it’s a big ol’ hairy extinction-level asteroid. You know, the kind of asteroid that gave the dinosaurs a really bad day 65 million years ago. Astronomers think there’s a high probability that it will hit us in 20 years time. What do we do?
(Cue screaming people running through the streets, riots, looting, orgies, awesome doomsday parties…)
Once the inevitable panic has died down, no doubt the world’s population will start asking their governments what they intend to do about it. At that moment, as the horrid sinking sensation sets in, politicians will wish they’d invested more money into their space programs. “Whaddaya know. We needed that space infrastructure after all! What were we thinking all these years building bombs and war machines? It’s the UNIVERSE that’s going to kill us! What fools we’ve been…”
Fortunately, despite the lack of political will to spend more on space technology over the years, space experts do have some clue as to how to deal with an incoming asteroid threat. And if that threat is 20 years out, we may actually have a stab at preventing the space rock from hitting us…
Asteroid 2012 LZ1 Just Got Supersized
On Sunday, June 10, a potentially hazardous asteroid thought to have been 500 meters (0.31 miles) wide was discovered by Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. Fortunately for us, asteroid 2012 LZ1 drifted safely by, coming within 14 lunar distances from Earth on Thursday, June 14. Phew.
But as it turns out, this particular space rock was a civilization-killing asteroid in disguise.
Huge Asteroid to Fly by Earth Thursday
An asteroid the size of a city block is set to fly by Earth Thursday (June 14), and you may be able to watch it happen live.
The near-Earth asteroid 2012 LZ1, which astronomers think is about 1,650 feet (500 meters) wide, will come within 14 lunar distances of Earth Thursday evening. While there’s no danger of an impact on this pass, the huge space rock may come close enough to be caught on camera.
Vesta is a Baby Planet, Not an Asteroid
Asteroid Vesta turns out to be an ancient protoplanet that never made it to the big leagues.
Asteroid Mining Coming Via Google and Co.?
Taking platinum, other precious metals and rare minerals from asteroids is the focus of new company backed by Google founders and James Cameron.
