Topic: Near Earth Objects

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.

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.

Humongous asteroid could strike Earth in 2040

The 460-foot wide asteroid 2011 AG5 could be on a collision course with our planet. But the odds are very small, say scientists. 

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.  

Five reasons the world won't end in 2012

Pointing to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers think that life as we know it on Earth has entered it's final year. NASA begs to differ. 

Asteroid 2011 MD buzzes Earth, nearer than some satellites

Asteroid 2011 MD, reached its closest point to Earth just after 1 p.m. EDT, when it crept within 7,500 miles of Earth before whipping away again like a slingshot.

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.

Huge asteroid to buzz Earth in November

On November 8 and 9, the quarter-mile-wide asteroid 2005 YU55 will zoom past the Earth, coming within about 200,000 miles, a distance closer than our moon.

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.

Apophis asteroid will probably almost certainly not smash into Earth, say scientists

Apophis asteroid: Russian scientists are warning that a rock the size of two football fields is poised to strike our planet in 2036. But NASA says the odds are just one in a quarter million.

Solar Sail flotilla could prevent potential giant asteroid impact

The preliminary concept idea was proposed at a symposium on solar sails, which are spacecraft powered by sunlight pushing against a sail.

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.

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

2010 RF12 and its pal show improvements in asteroid detection

2010 RF12 and another small asteroid that passed close to earth Wednesday were detected three days before their fly-by, illustrating the improving capability of asteroid-spotting telescopes.

2010 RF12: A second asteroid will buzz the Earth today

2010 RF12 is the second asteroid today to make a close pass at the Earth. Well, relatively close. It'll scoot between the Earth and Moon, passing about 49,000 miles away,

Pair of asteroids to buzz past the earth

In an unprecedented event, two asteroids will pass our planet Wednesday at a distance closer than the moon. Neither rock threatens to strike the earth, say astronomers.

Huge asteroid on possible collision course with Earth (172 years from now)

The asteroid has a one-in-a-thousand chance of striking our planet in the year 2182, say NASA experts.

NASA should protect Earth from space rocks, panel finds

A NASA task force says the space agency should make protecting the planet a strategic goal.

Giant asteroid could threaten Earth just over 170 years from now

Giant asteroid has a remote chance of impacting Earth sometime in 2182.

Asteroid threat: Don't worry, Congress is looking into it

Astronomers have long warned of a nasty encounter with a large space rock, but don't worry: There's a proposal in Congress to establish a commission to look into it.

Scientists attempt to unravel the mysteries of asteroids

For years scientists had a hard time figuring out which asteroids the meteorites came from.