asteroid

Latest about asteroid

The rubble pile asteroid as imaged by the Hayabusa 1 probe in 2005.

Primordial asteroids are like giant space pillows and could be harder to destroy than previously thought

By Ben Turner published

The asteroid has survived in space for nearly as long as the solar system has existed

Asteroids
The interaction between the solar wind and the surface of asteroids may have created Earth's water

Radioactive space rocks could have seeded life on Earth, new research suggests

By Ben Turner published

Radioactive isotopes were found to produce amino acids inside carbonaceous chondrite meteorites.

Asteroids
An artist's interpretation of a killer asteroid exploding on impact with the Red Planet.

Colossal 'planet killer' asteroid sparked mega-tsunami on Mars, and now we know where it landed

By Harry Baker published

Planetary scientists have pinpointed the likely location of a massive asteroid impact that triggered an enormous tsunami on the Red Planet around 3.4 billion years ago.

Mars
The 2.5 ounce slice which contains the two brand new minerals.

Two minerals never seen before on Earth found inside 17-ton meteorite

By Ben Turner published

The minerals were found inside a slice of the El Ali meteorite, which was found in Somalia in 2020.

Asteroids
This 30-second exposure of the night sky shows a green fireball streaking toward Lake Ontario near the U.S.-Canada border.

Eerie green fireball detected hours before smashing into Lake Ontario in the dead of night

By Brandon Specktor published

A renegade meteor flared in Earth’s atmosphere in the wee hours of Nov. 19, creating a bright green fireball in the sky over the eastern US and Canada.

Asteroids
An illustration of an asteroid streaking toward Earth. The asteroid that hit Earth about 66 million years ago triggered a tsunami with mile-high waves.

'Planet killer' asteroid hiding in sun's glare could smash into Earth one day

By Ben Turner last updated

Asteroids of this size are big enough to cause mass extinction events.

Asteroids
About 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-size body slammed into the young Earth, which likely created the moon.

What was Earth's biggest explosion?

By Michael Dhar published

The biggest blasts come from above, while volcanic eruptions and human-caused detonations have also unleashed incredible levels of energy.

Planet Earth
An artist's impression of a near-Earth asteroid.

A monstrously large, 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Halloween

By Ben Turner published

The asteroid's upper size estimate is just short of the world's tallest building.

Asteroids
An illustration of the trajectory of potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon as it passed by Earth in 2017. New research suggests the asteroid's spin is accelerating.

Bizarre near-Earth asteroid is spinning faster every year — and scientists aren’t sure why

By Harry Baker published

Astronomers have discovered that a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, has an unusual accelerating spin that could eventually change its trajectory through the solar system.

Asteroids
an asteroid slams into Earth

Dino-killing asteroid triggered 'mega-earthquake' that rocked the planet for months

By Stephanie Pappas published

The dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impact triggered a months-long mega-earthquake that left its mark in the rock.

Earthquakes
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