Planetary Defense
- All
- News
- Videos
-
NASA Shuts Down Public Communications on Website Amid US Budget Impasse
NASA’s online presence has gone dark as a U.S. budget lapse forces a government shutdown. Outreach, research, and grant work have stopped, while critical ISS and planetary defense operations persist. The silence recalls 2013’s shutdown, which caused widespread delays to missions and scientific projects.
-
Astronomers Reveal Sudden Explosion of Small Asteroid Over France
In February 2023, asteroid 2023 CX1 exploded suddenly over France, stunning scientists. Tracked only hours before impact, the tiny rock disintegrated in a powerful airburst, scattering meteorites across Normandy. The rare event provides crucial insights into asteroid behavior and raises new considerations for future planetary defense strategies.
-
Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
-
NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
-
NASA Shares Planetary Defense Strategy to Protect Earth From Potential Asteroid Strikes
NASA and international scientists closely tracked asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially showed a rare 3 percent collision probability with Earth. Although the threat has now diminished, the incident highlights the importance of asteroid surveillance, open data, and upcoming space missions like NEO Surveyor.
-
3D Mapping Reveals 52-Foot Megaripples from Chicxulub Asteroid in Louisiana
Massive megaripples, formed by the tsunami after the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, have been mapped deep beneath Louisiana using 3D seismic data. The formations, averaging 52 feet in height and spanning 900 square miles, offer new insights into the force of the ancient tsunami and its global impact. Scientists suggest these findin...
-
NASA Partners With SpaceX To Launch NEO Surveyor, a Mission To Detect Asteroid Threats
NASA has selected SpaceX for the launch of its NEO Surveyor spacecraft in 2027. The mission, valued at $100 million, will use a Falcon 9 rocket to deploy the spacecraft to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1. The infrared telescope will help detect and track hazardous near-Earth objects, including difficult-to-spot dark asteroids. This mission builds on...
-
This Asteroid Could Hit Earth In 2032, Threatening To Wipe Out A City
NASA has detected an asteroid called 2024 YR4, which has a 1 in 83 chance of impacting Earth in 2032, potentially releasing 8 megatons of energy and devastating a major city, although it's too small to end human civilization.
-
Asteroid 2024 PT5 Linked to Lunar Surface, Reveals Planetary Defense Insights
Asteroid 2024 PT5, sized like a school bus, passed Earth in January at 1.1 million miles. Research suggests it originated from the moon, ejected thousands of years ago by an impact. Spectral analysis matched it to Apollo 14 lunar rocks, ruling out artificial origins. This is the second known lunar asteroid after 469219 Kamo’oalewa. The study hint...
-
'Christmas Eve Asteroid' To Pass Closest To Earth At This Time, NASA Confirms
Asteroid 2024 XN1, nicknamed the "Christmas Eve asteroid," will pass Earth at a speed of 14,743 mph on December 24, reaching its closest point at 02:56 am GMT.
-
Christmas Eve Asteroid Alert: 120-Foot Space Rock Racing Toward Earth
With a size of 120 feet and a close approach on December 24, this asteroid will pass safely at a distance of 4.48 million miles.
-
Meteoroid Trails Could Help Detect Potentially Hazardous Comets Years in Advance
Meteoroid trails from long-period comets could provide early warnings of potentially dangerous comets near Earth, giving planetary scientists time to prepare. By studying these trails, scientists can track the paths of rarely visible comets that could pose a risk of impact, helping prevent catastrophic events. With the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observ...
-
NASA Concludes NEOWISE Mission After Successful Asteroid Detections
NASA has officially decommissioned the NEOWISE mission, a key component of its planetary defense strategy. Over its more than 10-year lifespan, NEOWISE exceeded its objectives by detecting thousands of asteroids and comets, including many near-Earth objects that could potentially pose a threat to our planet. The infrared data collected by the space...
-
Asteroid 2007 FT3 Poses No Threat To Earth, NASA Confirms
NASA assures that an 'unlocated' asteroid, comparable in size to the Shard, will not collide with Earth on October 5th.
-
NASA DART Spacecraft Successfully Slams Into Asteroid Dimorphos in First Planetary Defence Test
NASA on Monday successfully crashed into an asteroid in the world's first test of a planetary defense system, as the US space agency continues to work on technology to prevent potential meteorite collisions with Earth, that could threaten life on the planet. The DART spacecraft was launched by a SpaceX rocket in November 2021, and made most of its ...
-
NASA Shuts Down Public Communications on Website Amid US Budget Impasse
NASA’s online presence has gone dark as a U.S. budget lapse forces a government shutdown. Outreach, research, and grant work have stopped, while critical ISS and planetary defense operations persist. The silence recalls 2013’s shutdown, which caused widespread delays to missions and scientific projects.
-
Astronomers Reveal Sudden Explosion of Small Asteroid Over France
In February 2023, asteroid 2023 CX1 exploded suddenly over France, stunning scientists. Tracked only hours before impact, the tiny rock disintegrated in a powerful airburst, scattering meteorites across Normandy. The rare event provides crucial insights into asteroid behavior and raises new considerations for future planetary defense strategies.
-
Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
-
NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
-
NASA Shares Planetary Defense Strategy to Protect Earth From Potential Asteroid Strikes
NASA and international scientists closely tracked asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially showed a rare 3 percent collision probability with Earth. Although the threat has now diminished, the incident highlights the importance of asteroid surveillance, open data, and upcoming space missions like NEO Surveyor.
-
3D Mapping Reveals 52-Foot Megaripples from Chicxulub Asteroid in Louisiana
Massive megaripples, formed by the tsunami after the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, have been mapped deep beneath Louisiana using 3D seismic data. The formations, averaging 52 feet in height and spanning 900 square miles, offer new insights into the force of the ancient tsunami and its global impact. Scientists suggest these findin...
-
NASA Partners With SpaceX To Launch NEO Surveyor, a Mission To Detect Asteroid Threats
NASA has selected SpaceX for the launch of its NEO Surveyor spacecraft in 2027. The mission, valued at $100 million, will use a Falcon 9 rocket to deploy the spacecraft to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1. The infrared telescope will help detect and track hazardous near-Earth objects, including difficult-to-spot dark asteroids. This mission builds on...
-
This Asteroid Could Hit Earth In 2032, Threatening To Wipe Out A City
NASA has detected an asteroid called 2024 YR4, which has a 1 in 83 chance of impacting Earth in 2032, potentially releasing 8 megatons of energy and devastating a major city, although it's too small to end human civilization.
-
Asteroid 2024 PT5 Linked to Lunar Surface, Reveals Planetary Defense Insights
Asteroid 2024 PT5, sized like a school bus, passed Earth in January at 1.1 million miles. Research suggests it originated from the moon, ejected thousands of years ago by an impact. Spectral analysis matched it to Apollo 14 lunar rocks, ruling out artificial origins. This is the second known lunar asteroid after 469219 Kamo’oalewa. The study hint...
-
'Christmas Eve Asteroid' To Pass Closest To Earth At This Time, NASA Confirms
Asteroid 2024 XN1, nicknamed the "Christmas Eve asteroid," will pass Earth at a speed of 14,743 mph on December 24, reaching its closest point at 02:56 am GMT.
-
Christmas Eve Asteroid Alert: 120-Foot Space Rock Racing Toward Earth
With a size of 120 feet and a close approach on December 24, this asteroid will pass safely at a distance of 4.48 million miles.
-
Meteoroid Trails Could Help Detect Potentially Hazardous Comets Years in Advance
Meteoroid trails from long-period comets could provide early warnings of potentially dangerous comets near Earth, giving planetary scientists time to prepare. By studying these trails, scientists can track the paths of rarely visible comets that could pose a risk of impact, helping prevent catastrophic events. With the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observ...
-
NASA Concludes NEOWISE Mission After Successful Asteroid Detections
NASA has officially decommissioned the NEOWISE mission, a key component of its planetary defense strategy. Over its more than 10-year lifespan, NEOWISE exceeded its objectives by detecting thousands of asteroids and comets, including many near-Earth objects that could potentially pose a threat to our planet. The infrared data collected by the space...
-
Asteroid 2007 FT3 Poses No Threat To Earth, NASA Confirms
NASA assures that an 'unlocated' asteroid, comparable in size to the Shard, will not collide with Earth on October 5th.
-
NASA DART Spacecraft Successfully Slams Into Asteroid Dimorphos in First Planetary Defence Test
NASA on Monday successfully crashed into an asteroid in the world's first test of a planetary defense system, as the US space agency continues to work on technology to prevent potential meteorite collisions with Earth, that could threaten life on the planet. The DART spacecraft was launched by a SpaceX rocket in November 2021, and made most of its ...
