Asteroids

Three research papers on Bennu have recently been published as scientists analyze all the data collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission in space. — Research papers on Bennu have been coming out in droves these days as scientists analyze all the data collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission, and we have not one but two new papers today. First up, in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances, a team of scientists characterized…

There are a lot of giant asteroids out in space, and it’s just a matter of time before another one finds a bullseye on Earth. What can we do about it? — Just recently, and with no fanfare, we came into sudden and violent contact with another heavenly body. According to NASA: A small asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere over the Norwegian Sea before disintegrating on March 11, 2022. But this event wasn’t a complete surprise: Astronomers knew it was on a collision…

Our quest to exceed 200 Steam game reviews in 2022 is seemingly off to a rough start. We have played: 1 Clearly Recommended title 6 Average & Playable, Conditionally Recommended titles 8 Not Recommended but with a Few Tweaks, Could be Acceptably Average titles 36 Not Recommended Due to Severe…

We look at how asteroids cause extinctions on Earth, as we talk with National Geographic’s Nizar Ibrahim! — Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. This is our first episode in a few weeks, and I’m delighted to see you again! This week, we open up a new series talking about extinction from space. This week? Asteroids! We’ll be talking with paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim from the University of Portsmouth…

In a test of asteroid detection capabilities, several observatories and spacecraft participate in the “discovery” of asteroid Apophis. — It’s been a moment since we brought you news of a hazardous asteroid because, well, there aren’t any hazardous asteroids at the moment. Don’t let sensational clickbait headlines convince you otherwise. What we do have, however, is a neat story of how the global planetary defense community discovered asteroid Apophis……