Asteroids Archives - Page 9 of 18

Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Haiti to Devastating Effect

Aug 18, 2021 | Asteroids, Daily Space, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Star Forming Region

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the island nation of Haiti, destroying thousands of homes and resulting in the loss of over 1,400 people. Additionally, Tropical Depression Grace arrived and hampered rescue efforts. Plus, the asteroid Phaethon is outgassing sodium, studying Mars’ moons in the search for life, and how dust storms helped dry out Mars.

Evidence for Icy Crust Found at Ceres’ Occator Crater

Aug 17, 2021 | Asteroids, Climate Change, Earth, ESA, Mars, Perseverance, Review, Venus

Using a neutron spectrometer on board the Dawn spacecraft, scientists have found elevated concentrations of hydrogen in Ceres’ Occator Crater, which provides evidence of an icy crust. Plus, everything is on fire in the western United States, and we review “The Past is Red” by Catherynne M. Valente.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Finds Bennu Collision Risk Nearly Nonexistent

Aug 13, 2021 | Asteroids, Daily Space, Earth, ESA, Exoplanets, OSIRIS-REx, Our Solar System, Sky Watching, Spacecraft, Stars, Venus

After careful analysis of orbital data, gravitational forces, and several other factors, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team calculated the risk of a collision with near-Earth asteroid Bennu to be 0.057% through 2300. Plus, magnetites in meteorites reveal solar system history, and the constellation Ophiuchus is What’s Up.

Chandra X-ray Observatory Captures Light Echoes Around Black Hole

Aug 11, 2021 | Asteroids, Black Holes (Stellar), Daily Space, Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mars 2020, Perseverance, Stars, The Sun

Based on X-ray detections from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, scientists used the Chandra X-ray Observatory and found rings called light echoes moving out from a black hole and its companion star, reflecting off the surrounding dust clouds. Plus, solving the puzzle of the Sun and using glassy nodules to find a meteorite impact.

NASA Identifies Possible Lunar Mantle Rocks on Lunar Surface

Aug 6, 2021 | Asteroids, Comets, Daily Space, Earth, Jupiter, Mercury, Moon, Sky Watching, Spacecraft, Stars, Supernovae, Venus, White Dwarfs

Two new studies have possibly identified regions on the Moon’s surface that could contain pieces of the lunar mantle, which would be possible sample targets for the Artemis mission. Plus, Venus gets a double flyby next week, and it’s all about asteroids and meteor showers in this week’s What’s Up.

Rogue Planets Found Near Milky Way’s Core

Jul 16, 2021 | Asteroids, Black Holes (Stellar), Conferences, Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, Globular Cluster, Jupiter, Kepler, Mercury, Our Solar System, Stars, Supernovae

Using data collected by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, scientists have found four free-floating, or rogue, planets near the core of the Milky Way. These planets formed in discs in other planetary systems and were thrown out by gravitational interactions with larger planets. Plus, the early solar system, including ancient Earth, Jupiter’s chemistry, and Mercury’s core.