Topic: Asteroids

4,700 asteroids capable of catastrophic damage lurk near Earth

The survey found there are likely 4,700 potentially hazardous asteroids in orbits that occasionally bring them close enough to Earth to pose a concern.

Asteroid Vesta: Is it really an asteroid?

The humongous asteroid Vesta is actually a protoplanet left over from the early days of our solar system, new observations from a NASA space probe suggest. 

Is it really cheaper to mine platinum from an asteroid? (+video)

A new company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires and Hollywood moguls seeks to extract precious metals from asteroids. Is doing so really cheaper than mining metals on Earth?

Google billionaires announce scheme to mine asteroids (+video)

A new company backed by some of the world's most prominent billionaires, including three Google executives, plans to mine near-Earth asteroids for precious metals. 

Jet-airliner-sized April Fools' Day asteroid buzzes Earth (+video)

About 150 feet wide, asteroid 2012 EG5 hurtled past our planet Sunday, passing closer than the moon. 

Leap Day asteroid to whiz past Earth

Just in time for Leap Day, the 61-foot asteroid 2012 DS32 will zoom past our planet at a comfortable distance of about 446,000 miles.

School-bus-sized asteroid to buzz Earth Friday, nearer than moon

While the near-Earth asteroid won't hit Earth, it may offer seasoned amateur astronomers a great show — if they are in the right viewing location and have good equipment.  

Asteroid Vesta features mountain bigger than any on Earth

Asteroid Vesta is currently in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists recently discovered a huge mountain on the asteroid Vesta.

Asteroid Vesta and Dawn spacecraft get cozy

Asteroid Vesta: The Dawn spacecraft last month slipped into orbit around the 330-mile-wide rocky body with little fanfare and began beaming back incredible details of the pockmarked surface that resembles Earth's moon.

School-bus sized asteroid to hurtle past Earth Monday morning

At 9:26 AM Eastern time on Monday, a small asteroid will make an extremely close pass to our planet, but there is no chance that it will strike it, say NASA officials.

NASA's Dawn satellite has reached the asteroid belt. First stop: Vesta.

Vesta and Ceres, the two largest objects in the asteroid belt, have mystified scientists for centuries. With NASA satellite Dawn on final approach to Vesta, the wait is almost over.

Asteroid Vesta: surface of huge asteroid has mysterious dark spot

Asteroid Vesta has been coming into focus as NASA's Dawn probe comes in for close-up photos, but a mysterious dark spot has scientists scratching their heads.

Europa or bust? Maybe not. Top 9 priorities for planetary research missions

The National Research Council has just unveiled planetary scientists' space-mission wish-list for the next 10 years. Tight federal budgets will provide the reality check. Here's a sampler of missions the panel recommends NASA undertake this decade.

Asteroid discovery record set last month, using Hawaii telescope

Asteroid discovery record of 19 objects in one night was set on Jan. 29. The asteroid discovery record was accomplished using a powerful telescope on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Geminid meteor shower 2010: Why is the Phaethon asteroid going to pieces?

Geminid meteor shower 2010 climaxes between midnight Monday and dawn Tuesday. But the spectacle also poses a question: Why is the asteroid that supplies the meteorites breaking apart?

Deflecting Earth-bound asteroids becoming a global effort

Europe is ramping up efforts to detect incoming asteroids. Scientists and astronauts met for the first time in Germany to discuss options for defending the Earth from asteroids.

Asteroid collision possibly spotted by Hubble telescope

Asteroid collision: The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted an odd X shape in our solar system's asteroid belt, in what could be the first image of an asteroid collision in space.

It's easier to track small asteroids such as 2010 RF12 as they near Earth

Trojan asteroid detected in Neptune's 'dead zone'

Trojan asteroid 2008 LC18 is orbiting in a fixed spot in Neptune's orbit where the gravitational pull of Neptune and the sun balance out. Its discovery may help shed light on questions about planetary formation.

After visiting asteroid, Hayabusa space capsule returns to Japan

The Hayabusa space capsule, which parachuted into the Australian Outback after a seven-year, billion-mile journey to the asteroid Itokawa and back, is now heading back to Japan for analysis.