Recent Comments

    Asteroid tagged posts

    A nuclear blast could save Earth from an asteroid, but there’s a catch

    November 9, 2026, Categories  Uncategorized

    Nathan Moore
    “Most researchers were modeling asteroids like a sphere. It makes the math easier. It’s a huge calculation, and the codes can handle spheres. The trouble is, spherical asteroids don’t exist,” said Sandia National Laboratories physicist Nathan Moore. A new asteroid deflection model developed at Sandia incorporates realistic asteroid shapes and high-fidelity math, with surprising results. (Photo by Craig Fritz)

    A nuclear explosion could potentially protect Earth from an incoming asteroid by releasing powerful Xrays that heat its surface and push it onto a safer trajectory. However, new research suggests that the success of such a mission could depend heavily on which side of the asteroid receives the blast.

    Unlike the smooth, round objects often used in computer simulations, r...

    Read More

    All 5 genetic “letters” of DNA and RNA discovered in a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid

    November 5, 2026, Categories  Uncategorized

    Scientists have discovered all five essential nucleobases used in DNA and RNA in pristine samples from asteroid Ryugu, revealing that key ingredients for life existed in space billions of years ago. The remarkable finding adds to growing evidence from other asteroids and meteorites that these molecules were widespread throughout the early Solar System.

    A new study reveals all five fundamental nucleobases – the molecular “letters” of life – have been detected in samples from the asteroid Ryugu.

    Asteroid particles offer a glimpse into the chemical ingredients that may have helped kindle life on Earth. The Ryugu samples were returned from space in 2020 by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 mission.

    In 2023, an international team reported they had fou...

    Read More

    The asteroid that may be three worlds

    August 11, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Asteroid (44) Nysa imaged with the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope. The tiny moon S/2026 (44) 1, arrowed, was pulled from the asteroid's glare using techniques borrowed from exoplanet hunting (Credit : SHARK-VIS/LBT Observatory)
    Asteroid (44) Nysa imaged with the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope. The tiny moon S/2026 (44) 1, arrowed, was pulled from the asteroid’s glare using techniques borrowed from exoplanet hunting (Credit : SHARK-VIS/LBT Observatory)

    What shape is an asteroid? For (44) Nysa, the honest answer until now has been that nobody knew. It is one of the brightest and largest E-type asteroids in the main belt, a class with a surface rich in enstatite, and its oddness has made it a favorite target for well over a hundred years. Successive observations hinted that it was elongated, perhaps even two lumps stuck together, but the picture stayed frustratingly blurred.

    An international team led by Kate Minker at Lowell Observatory has now brought two of the world’s heaviest instru...

    Read More

    Japan space probe skims asteroid in test for planetary defense

    July 7, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    asteroid (Dimorphos)
    This high-resolution view of Dimorphos was created by combining the final 10 full-frame images obtained by DART’s Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO) and layering the higher-resolution images on top of the lower-resolution ones. Dimorphos is oriented so that its north pole is toward the top of the image. Credit: Public Domain

    A Japanese space probe performed a flyby of a near-Earth asteroid on Sunday in a test mission for technology that could help protect the planet from space rocks.

    The fridge-sized Hayabusa2 was due to fly within 800 meters (0...

    Read More