Latest news with #Near-Earth
Economic Times
16-07-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
NASA alert: 10-storey tall asteroid to fly past earth tomorrow at 22,500 km/h. Size, distance & more
Synopsis An asteroid named 2022 YS5 will pass close to Earth tomorrow. The asteroid is about 120 feet in diameter. It will travel at a speed of 22,500 km/h. NASA and ISRO confirm that it is not a threat. ISRO is preparing for future asteroid threats like Apophis in 2029. Continuous monitoring of Near-Earth Objects is critical for planetary defense. Agencies Representative Image A massive asteroid roughly the size of a building is set to make a close approach to Earth tomorrow, July 17. Named Asteroid 2022 YS5, the space rock will zoom past at a staggering speed of 22,500 km/h, but both NASA and ISRO have confirmed that it poses no threat to our to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), 2022 YS5 is about 120 feet (36.5 meters) in diameter—comparable to a 10-storey building. While its size may raise eyebrows, it's not large enough to be classified as 'potentially hazardous.' The asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of 4.15 million kilometers (about 2.58 million miles). Although this may sound far, it's considered relatively close in cosmic terms—especially at its speed of over 22,500 km/ classifies an asteroid as "potentially hazardous" only if it's larger than 85 meters in diameter, andpasses within 7.4 million kilometers of Earth. Since 2022 YS5 falls short on both criteria, it will be closely monitored but not considered dangerous. According to reports ISRO will be studying the 2022 YS5 in preparation for asteroid Apophis, which will make a very close approach in 2029. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath has emphasized the need for early detection, advanced monitoring, and possible deflection strategies. Collaborative efforts with NASA, ESA, and JAXA are already underway to develop missions that could land on asteroids, analyze them, and test ways to alter their trajectories. While 2022 YS5 is harmless, many experts caution that even smaller asteroids, like 2022 YS5, can change course over time due to factors like gravitational pulls or solar radiation. Continuous monitoring of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is critical to identify potential risks early and respond accordingly.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Large Object From Interstellar Space Detected Heading Toward Center of Solar System
A new interstellar object has been spotted careening into the solar system at an extremely unusual trajectory. If its interstellar origins were to be confirmed, it'd only be the third of its kind spotted in the solar system in history. An oblong interstellar object, dubbed 'Oumuamua, was first discovered in 2017, while comet 2I/Borisov was detected in 2019. The latest addition, provisionally named A11pl3Z, has a highly unusual trajectory, leading astronomers to believe it may have also originated from outside our star system. The object was added to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center's list of confirmed Near-Earth Objects on July 1, as EarthSky reports. NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab also list it as a near-Earth object. Scientists estimate it could be up to 12 miles across. It could also set a new speed record, ripping by the Earth with a relative velocity of around 56 miles per second, according to radio astronomer Marshall Eubanks. It's still far too early to tell what A11pl3Z actually is. Could it be a comet, like 2I/Borisov, a celestial object made of ice, dust, and small rock particles? Or could it be an asteroid, ejected from a distant star system to end up in our own? In any case, it's an exciting new discovery that could allow scientists to glean new insights into the nature of interstellar space and the alien worlds that populate it. Understandably, astronomers are thrilled to find out more about the unusual visitor. "After a few more precovery observations, and followups, it became clear this object is on a hyperbolic trajectory through the solar system," Catalina Sky Survey astronomer David Rankin wrote in a post on Bluesky, noting that its trajectory has "by far the highest eccentricity of any object ever discovered." According to Rankin, the object's eccentricity is around 6.05. In simple terms, that means it's taking far more of a "straight" path through the solar system than any object we've ever found. Our friend at Atlas seem to have discovered the 3rd interstellar object deep in the milky way. Precovery data going back to June 25th is leaving little doubt. With an eccentricity near 10, this is like nothing seen before. Comet is screaming by us. 🔭🧪 — David Rankin (@ 2025-07-02T02:24:56.328Z "This is only the 3rd interstellar object ever discovered," Rankin wrote in a followup post. "'Oumuamua was the first with an eccentricity of ~1.02. Then came comet 2I/Borisov with an eccentricity of ~3.35. This object has an eccentricity of around 6, much higher than both of the previous "I" objects. "A really neat find," he added. A11pl3Z will make a "semi-close" encounter of Mars in October and Jupiter in March of next year, Rankin said. Neither of these passes "will meaningfully affect its orbit." The blazing object will also pose no danger to Earth, as Ars Technica points out, since we will be on the other side of the Sun when it makes its next close encounter with our planet. It'll likely take some time until we can learn more about A11pl3Z. Besides, even the two previous interstellar visitors astronomers have spotted remain shrouded in mystery. Scientists still disagree about 'Oumuamua's exact origin story, almost eight years after it was spotted by astronomers using a telescope in Hawaii. Some claim it's an asteroid, while others say it's a comet. One less conventional explanation: if Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb is to be believed, the 300-to-3,300-feet-long object could be an alien "mothership" visiting the solar system from lightyears away. More on interstellar objects: Alpha Centauri Sending Stream of Objects Into Our Solar System, Scientists Propose
DW
21-05-2025
- Science
- DW
What is China's space mission Tianwen-2? – DW – 05/21/2025
China hopes Tianwen-2 will match the success of its US and Japanese space rivals by exploring an unusual Near-Earth Asteroid and returning rock samples. China's Tianwen-2 mission will mark the country's first attempt to survey and sample an asteroid and put it in league with the US, Russia and Japan. Tianwen-2 will investigate a nearby asteroid called Kamo'oalewa, which orbits the sun at a distance relatively close to Earth. The entire mission could last a decade. If it successfully retrieves and returns samples from the asteroid, it will continue to explore the solar system, with a second trip to the main asteroid belt. When will Tianwen-2 launch? Tianwen-2 will launch at the end of May 2025 on a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province, according to a statement published by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). CNSA has yet to confirm an exact launch date. Where is Tianwen-2 going? The first target for Tianwen-2 will be the asteroid Kamo'oalewa. If successful, it will mark the first time China has collected samples from an 'interplanetary' body in the solar system. China has, however, previously returned samples from the moon. Interplanetary bodies — literally natural space objects between planets, including asteroids, comets and meteors — are common near Earth and have been explored for years by other space agencies, such as NASA, Roscosmos, and JAXA. After Kamo'oalewa, Tianwen-2's next destination is the comet 311P/PANSTARRS. Comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the solar system's main "asteroid belt" between Mars and Jupiter. The probe won't gather samples from the comet, but will instead orbit and analyze its composition. What is Kamo'oalewa? Kamo'oalewa is an unusual asteroid, estimated to be between 40-100 meters (131–328 feet) in diameter. It's described as a 'quasi-satellite' because, while it orbits the sun , its current location near Earth means it also loops around our planet in the process. Astronomers think Kamo'oalewa may be a boulder that was blasted off the surface of our moon, following an impact with another space object. It will take about two-and-a-half years for Tianwen-2 to complete its initial mission to Kamo'oalewa. OSIRIS REx spacecraft releases asteroid sample capsule To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video How will it retrieve samples? Tianwen-2 will attempt to sample Kamo'oalewa with a "touch-and-go" technique that was successfully used by the OSIRIS-Rex and Hayabusa2 missions. This method uses an extended robotic arm to scrape an asteroid's surface as the probe flies past. It will also attempt to land on the surface using a second 'anchor and attach' technique. This would see four robotic arms extend and drill into the surface to retrieve material. As with other space sample missions, the samples would then be dropped back to Earth before the probe continues towards its secondary mission in the asteroid belt. The Tianwen-1 mission was sent to explore Mars. Image: CNSA/Newscom/picture alliance What does Tianwen mean? Tianwen is the name of a work by Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who died around 278 BCE. It translates as "Heavenly questions." This series of missions began with the launch of Tianwen-1 in July 2020, which sent an explorer to Mars. After landing on the surface in May 2021, the rover was put into hibernation mode but failed to restart as planned at the end of 2022. Tianwen-3 is the next scheduled mission, due to begin in 2028. That will be China's first attempt to return samples from the surface of Mars. Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
After the Arecibo collapse in 2020, a lone NASA radar dish in the Mojave desert stepped up as a leading asteroid hunter
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rising out of the remote Mojave Desert, NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar is a solitary satellite dish that communicates with spacecraft. In its downtime, the facility's antennas can track objects in space as they pass by Earth, improving measurements of their orbits that help scientists calculate if a particular target has a chance of colliding with our planet. By the end of 2024, Goldstone had detected 55 Near-Earth Asteroids, setting a new annual record for the facility. In 1968, scientists used Goldstone to make the first radar asteroid observations. In the decades that followed, researchers leaned more heavily on the Arecibo Observatory, a larger dish in Puerto Rico that could make more detailed studies. "While Arecibo was in operation, about 2.5 times as many binary system satellites had been found there relative to Goldstone," asteroid hunter and planetary scientist Lance Benner, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told by email. But the unexpected 2020 collapse of Arecibo left Goldstone as the new heavy hitter. According to Benner, the number of binaries identified by Goldstone is comparable to those found at Arecibo. Benner, who uses Goldstone to observe known asteroids, updated the planetary science community on the status of steroid radar observations made to Goldstone in March, at the 56th annual Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference in Houston, Texas. Asteroids are leftover bits from the dawn of the solar system, and have the potential to reveal information about those formative years. Of the 37,255 known near-Earth asteroids, only 1127 have been observed by radar, and 512 of those were observed by Goldstone. Since the fall of Arecibo, 199 NEAs have been detected at Goldstone; 154 of them were detected for the first time by radar. Of those, 112 were classified as potentially hazardous asteroids. While asteroids are more easily discovered with optical telescopes, radar images shine when it comes to details. Radar can help astronomers study the physical properties of the asteroids, including their shapes, sizes, rotation states, surface features like roughness, and radar reflectivity. "Some images obtained with radar […] rival the resolutions of spacecraft flyby missions," Benner said. All of this can help scientists better understand the structure and composition of the asteroids as they buzz by Earth. Radar can also help to refine the asteroid's path through space, which can help researchers determine how likely it is to collide with Earth in the future. And radar shines when it comes to companions. Because it provides the equivalent of an up-close look at the space rocks, it can determine when asteroids are in binary pairs or even triple systems. Of the 75 binary and triple asteroid systems observed by radar since 2000, 70% were discovered using radar. From 2021 to 2024, Goldstone's DSS-14 radar antenna observed 19 binary systems, identifying 14 of these for the first time. Goldstone even helped revise some of Arecibo's findings; the system 1998 ST27 was formerly classified as a binary from previous observations, but has now been reclassified as a triple thanks to Goldstone. Observations of these NEAs are generally scheduled well in advance, though there are occasionally opportunities to study a newfound asteroid on short notice. In some months, Benner said, there might be observations anywhere from 10 to 15 days, while in other months hunting asteroids is regulated to only a handful of days. The process has become more flexible in recent years. In the past, would-be-observers had to obtain permission from more then 20 government agencies or military units who control restricted airspace surrounding the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex. "Obtaining approval could take several days, and in some cases, the asteroids had moved too far from Earth by the time we got approval to take full advantage of the observing opportunities," Benner said. That requirement is no longer necessary. Observers no longer need to get approval to transmit toward specific parts of the sky and at specific times. "This gives us the ability to change targets on the fly," Benner said. That, in turn, allows for a rising number of asteroids to be studied. "There are now so many asteroids known — and being discovered, sometimes more than 200 per month — that there are usually multiple asteroids within our range of detection every day, so flexibility with observing is really important," Benner said. The greater flexibility has led to an increase in asteroid observations from the Mojave. The 55 NEAs detected at Goldstone in 2024 represents a 1.5x increase relative to the average from 2012 to 2018, and a five-fold increase compared to 15 years ago. "Overall, there has been a significant uptick in time allocated at Goldstone for radar observations," as priority for radar observations is now considered comparable to space missions, Benner said. RELATED STORIES: — 2 asteroids just zipped by Earth, and NASA caught footage of the action — NASA radar images show stadium-size asteroid tumbling by Earth during flyby (photos) — Radar could help scientists find potentially threatening asteroids. Here's how Goldstone saw first light in December 1958, immediately after NASA was created and just in time to support the agency's Pioneer 3 mission to the moon. The Pioneer Station, an 85-foot (26-meter) polar mounted antenna, was the first to be constructed at Goldstone, and went on to support multiple spacecraft as well as the Apollo missions. It was officially shut down in 1981, and in 1985 was declared a National Historic Monument due to its role as the first deep space antenna in the Deep Space Network. The first observation of an asteroid using a radar telescope was made of asteroid (1566) Icarus in 1968 at Goldstone and later the then-functioning Haystack Observatory. At the time, Icarus was a subject of extreme interest as it made its closest approach to Earth. Goldstone antennas have also been used to study other objects in the solar system, such as the moon. Goldstone was the first of three instruments that today make up NASA's Deep Space Network. Along with dishes in Canberra, Australia and Madrid, Spain, the network communicates with ongoing missions, including continuing to keep in contact with the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, the most distant human-made objects in the solar system. More than 40 missions have depended on the network, and it is expected to support twice that number in the coming years.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
2024 YR4: What to know about the asteroid that could hit Earth in the future
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Scientists across the world are focusing on an asteroid that has a slim chance of hitting Earth. Here's what to know about the asteroid, as well as the role one Arizona observatory is playing in observing the space rock in question. Per NASA's website, the asteroid is named 2024 YR4. The asteroid is described as a near-Earth asteroid, defined as "an asteroid in an orbit that brings it into Earth's region of the Solar System." According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), 2024 YR4 was first discovered on December 27, 2024 by a NASA-funded telescope in Chile. What CNEOS Is Saying "The object had a close approach with Earth on December 25, which is why it became bright enough to be detected in the asteroid surveys," read a portion of CNEOS' website. Figures from CNEOS show that from August 1980 to Feb. 6, 2025, scientists have discovered a total of 37,593 Near-Earth Asteroids. Big picture view CNEOS' website states the asteroid is "most likely in the range of 40 to 90 meters (130 to 300 feet) in size." Officials say the estimate is based on measurements of the asteroid's brightness. "The size cannot be further constrained without thermal infrared observations, radar observations, or imagery from a spacecraft that could closely approach the asteroid," CNEOS' website states. On Feb. 7, NASA officials said the chance of the asteroid impacting Earth stands at 2.3%. Previously, on Jan. 29, officials with the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) said that the impact probability was 1.3% on Dec. 22, 2032. What the IAWN is Saying "While there is large uncertainty in whether the asteroid will impact Earth, if an impact occurs it will be on this date," read the document. Officials with the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) state there is an "impact risk corridor" for 2024 YR4. Per the document, the impact risk corridor for 2024 YR4 "extends across the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Arabian Sea, and South Asia." Should the asteroid hit, the document states that "blast damage could occur as far as 50 km (~31.07 mi) from the impact site." Once again, it should be noted that NASA officials, on Feb. 7, said the chance of 2024 YR4 impacting Earth stands at 2.3%. What An Astronomer Is Saying "[It's] not gonna cause extinction events," said Nick Moskovitz with Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. "It's not 'the end of the dinosaurs-like' impact, but it would have significant regional consequences." Per the IAWN, "future observations will reduce the uncertainty in the 2024 YR4's trajectory and impact probability." By the numbers The asteroid, according to people with IAWN, will be observable through early April, after which it will become too faint to be observed from Earth until June 2028. What's next NASA officials say with more observations of the asteroid's orbit, the impact probability will become better known. "It is possible that asteroid 2024 YR4 will be ruled out as an impact hazard, as has happened with many other objects that have previously appeared on NASA's asteroid risk list, maintained by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies," read NASA's website. Local perspective Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff is one of only three or four telescopes in the world that is currently monitoring the asteroid's path. "Our hope is that as we continue to monitor we see that the trajectory in 2032 off of the Earth and the probability would go to zero," said Moskovitz. Moskovitz said the equipment needed to see the asteroid has changed. "Right now, we're sort of in this transition where the telescopes like the telescope 4 m telescope 1617 feet across those are only telescopes in the world that can see it," said Moskovitz. Once again, it should be noted that as of Feb. 7, 2025, NASA officials put the probability of 2024 YR4 striking Earth at 2.3%. Even if the odds fail humanity, scientists do have a certain level of experience with defending the planet against asteroid strikes. Dig deeper Moskovitz and researchers from University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University were integral to a mission called "Double Asteroid Redirection Test" (DART). According to the mission's website, the DART mission is NASA's demonstration of a technology that aims to adjust the speed and path of an asteroid by hitting it with a spacecraft that is described as a "kinetic impactor." The mission involved sending a spacecraft to an asteroid named Dimorphos. The spacecraft hit Dimorphos in September 2022, and officials said based on subsequent measurements of the asteroid, the nearly head-on collision shortened the time it took for Dimosphos to orbit a larger asteroid named Didymos by 33 minutes. Space missions take years of planning, but moskovitz believes that can be streamlined for planetary defense. "We could simply copy DART," said Moskovitz. "We've done it before, down to the last screw. This would not take 10 years to do."
