Planetary Defence
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Could A Nuclear Weapon Save Earth From A Dangerous Asteroid? Scientists Run New Tests
Scientists have used powerful computer simulations to examine whether a nuclear explosion could break apart a large asteroid that threatens Earth.
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Rubin Observatory Discovers Over 11,000 Asteroids Within Weeks of Imaging
The Vera Rubin Observatory has discovered over 11,000 new asteroids within weeks of early observations. The findings highlight its ability to rapidly map the solar system and improve tracking of near-Earth objects for planetary defence.
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NASA’s Webb Telescope Confirms Asteroid 2024 YR4 Will Safely Pass the Moon in 2032
Infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope refined the orbit of asteroid 2024 YR4, confirming it will safely pass about 21,200 km above the Moon in December 2032. The new data eliminates earlier estimates that suggested a small chance of a lunar impact.
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Rubin Observatory Discovers Fastest-Spinning Large Asteroid Ever Seen
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever recorded. About 710 metres wide, the object completes one full rotation every 1.88 minutes—far quicker than any asteroid of similar size. The finding emerged from an early survey that detected nearly 2,000 new asteroids, in...
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Massive Asteroid As Big As An Airplane To Zoom Past Earth On July 4, Says NASA
Measuring approximately 120 feet in width, the asteroid will fly by at a velocity of 31,204 km/h, maintaining a safe distance of 1,960,000 kilometres from our planet.
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James Webb Telescope to Study Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2024 YR4
Asteroid 2024 YR4, identified in December 2024, has a 2.3% chance of Earth impact in December 2032. Due to uncertainties in ground-based size estimates, JWST will conduct infrared observations in March and May to determine its true dimensions. The European Space Agency estimates its width at 55 metres, but it could be as large as 90 metres. The fin...
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James Webb Telescope Spots 138 New Asteroids in the Main Belt, Some Heading Towards Earth
Astronomers have discovered 138 new asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These decametre-sized asteroids, some of which are on paths that could bring them close to Earth, were identified through a new computational technique. The discovery enhances our understanding of small space...
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Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
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An Asteroid Burned Up Over California Just Hours After Being Spotted
On October 22, 2024, asteroid 2024 UQ was detected just hours before entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean, near California. The ATLAS survey detected it shortly before impact, but delayed tracking data prevented immediate monitoring. The European Space Agency’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre later confirmed the asteroid's e...
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Taurid Meteor Stream Unlikely to Contain Dangerous Asteroids, New Study Suggests
A recent study led by Quanzhi Ye, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, reveals that the Taurid Meteoroid Complex, a debris stream linked to past Earth impacts, poses less danger than previously thought. Ye's team found fewer large asteroids in the stream, reducing the risk of a catastrophic collision with Earth. While these findings offer r...
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Nuclear X-rays Could Deflect Asteroids and Protect Earth, Study Suggests
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have discovered that exploding a nuclear bomb near an asteroid may produce X-rays powerful enough to push it off course. Instead of blowing the asteroid apart, the method involves vaporising its surface to alter its trajectory. Using the Z Machine, the world’s most powerful X-ray source, they successf...
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Video: Asteroid Burns Up In Earth's Atmosphere, Lighting Up Philippine Sky
A small asteroid, 2024 RW1, burned up in Earth's atmosphere over Luzon Island, Philippines, after being discovered just hours earlier by astronomers in Arizona.
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NASA To Observe Asteroid Flyby To Test Planetary Defense Technology
A small asteroid that is expected to fly close to the Earth will provide NASA an opportunity to test its network of observatories and systems for planetary defense, scientists say.
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New NASA Programme To Protect Earth From Asteroids
NASA has started a new programme called the Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) which will coordinate the space agency's efforts to detect and track near-Earth objects (NEOs), a media report said.
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Could A Nuclear Weapon Save Earth From A Dangerous Asteroid? Scientists Run New Tests
Scientists have used powerful computer simulations to examine whether a nuclear explosion could break apart a large asteroid that threatens Earth.
-
Rubin Observatory Discovers Over 11,000 Asteroids Within Weeks of Imaging
The Vera Rubin Observatory has discovered over 11,000 new asteroids within weeks of early observations. The findings highlight its ability to rapidly map the solar system and improve tracking of near-Earth objects for planetary defence.
-
NASA’s Webb Telescope Confirms Asteroid 2024 YR4 Will Safely Pass the Moon in 2032
Infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope refined the orbit of asteroid 2024 YR4, confirming it will safely pass about 21,200 km above the Moon in December 2032. The new data eliminates earlier estimates that suggested a small chance of a lunar impact.
-
Rubin Observatory Discovers Fastest-Spinning Large Asteroid Ever Seen
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever recorded. About 710 metres wide, the object completes one full rotation every 1.88 minutes—far quicker than any asteroid of similar size. The finding emerged from an early survey that detected nearly 2,000 new asteroids, in...
-
Massive Asteroid As Big As An Airplane To Zoom Past Earth On July 4, Says NASA
Measuring approximately 120 feet in width, the asteroid will fly by at a velocity of 31,204 km/h, maintaining a safe distance of 1,960,000 kilometres from our planet.
-
James Webb Telescope to Study Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2024 YR4
Asteroid 2024 YR4, identified in December 2024, has a 2.3% chance of Earth impact in December 2032. Due to uncertainties in ground-based size estimates, JWST will conduct infrared observations in March and May to determine its true dimensions. The European Space Agency estimates its width at 55 metres, but it could be as large as 90 metres. The fin...
-
James Webb Telescope Spots 138 New Asteroids in the Main Belt, Some Heading Towards Earth
Astronomers have discovered 138 new asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These decametre-sized asteroids, some of which are on paths that could bring them close to Earth, were identified through a new computational technique. The discovery enhances our understanding of small space...
-
Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
-
An Asteroid Burned Up Over California Just Hours After Being Spotted
On October 22, 2024, asteroid 2024 UQ was detected just hours before entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean, near California. The ATLAS survey detected it shortly before impact, but delayed tracking data prevented immediate monitoring. The European Space Agency’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre later confirmed the asteroid's e...
-
Taurid Meteor Stream Unlikely to Contain Dangerous Asteroids, New Study Suggests
A recent study led by Quanzhi Ye, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, reveals that the Taurid Meteoroid Complex, a debris stream linked to past Earth impacts, poses less danger than previously thought. Ye's team found fewer large asteroids in the stream, reducing the risk of a catastrophic collision with Earth. While these findings offer r...
-
Nuclear X-rays Could Deflect Asteroids and Protect Earth, Study Suggests
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have discovered that exploding a nuclear bomb near an asteroid may produce X-rays powerful enough to push it off course. Instead of blowing the asteroid apart, the method involves vaporising its surface to alter its trajectory. Using the Z Machine, the world’s most powerful X-ray source, they successf...
-
Video: Asteroid Burns Up In Earth's Atmosphere, Lighting Up Philippine Sky
A small asteroid, 2024 RW1, burned up in Earth's atmosphere over Luzon Island, Philippines, after being discovered just hours earlier by astronomers in Arizona.
-
NASA To Observe Asteroid Flyby To Test Planetary Defense Technology
A small asteroid that is expected to fly close to the Earth will provide NASA an opportunity to test its network of observatories and systems for planetary defense, scientists say.
-
New NASA Programme To Protect Earth From Asteroids
NASA has started a new programme called the Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) which will coordinate the space agency's efforts to detect and track near-Earth objects (NEOs), a media report said.
