Topic: Comets

Thousands of comets orbiting new star collide every day, create visible debris ring

Comets, perhaps over 80 trillion, circle a young star that houses one alien planet and maybe more. There are thousands of daily comet collisions in the star's orbit.

Mark Twain: 10 reasons we love him

For Twain's 176th's birthday, ten reasons the world is still fascinated by the Missouri native.

Stardust-NExT to make Valentine rendezvous with comet Tempel 1

NASA sent its Deep Impact probe to comet Tempel 1 in 2005, but failed to get the data it wanted. Now, with Stardust-NExT returning this Monday, NASA gets a second shot.

Quadrantid meteor shower tonight: the top nine meteor showers of 2011

This week will see a lesser known meteor shower, the Quadrantid, dazzle the night sky on Jan. 3 and 4. It's the first of nine significant meteor showers in 2011. Here’s a list of all the events and what to watch for each time.

Comet Hartley 2: EPOXI probe flyby to yield rare close-up photos

Comet Hartley 2 will get its portrait taken on Thursday by NASA's EPOXI spacecraft. NASA will snap 6,000 high-resolution images of 103P/Hartley 2, a small comet that hangs out around Jupiter's orbit.

Orionid meteor shower from Halley's Comet has big finish Thursday night

Orionid meteor shower will conclude Thursday night as the Earth finishes traversing through the debris field that follows Halley's Comet.

Comet Hartley 2 to swing by Earth Wednesday

Comet Hartley 2 will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, and is best viewed with binoculars or a low-magnification telescope.

Did the ancient Greeks spot Halley's Comet?

Halley's Comet visited our inner solar system in 466 BC, where it was probably viewed by ancient Greek skywatchers.

Meteor shower August 2010: how you can get the best view

Meteor shower August 2010 peak comes early Friday. Emanating from the constellation Perseid, the meteor shower could yield sightings in some locations of up to 75 meteors an hour.

Streaking chunks of Halley's Comet producing Eta Aquarid meteor shower

Halley's Comet is not back yet, but remnants of Halley's Comet are creating the Eta Aquarid meteor shower this week.

Jupiter collision a warning call to Earth

The list of cosmic objects that could hit Earth is growing. Scientists study satellite 'tractors' and nuclear weapons as ways to divert asteroids headed our way.

Jupiter's massive scar proves how puny Earth really is

Comet Lulin arrives tonight - break out your telescopes