Asteroids
A Hypervelocity Experiment Mimics the Surface Conditions of Ceres
It might be oxymoronic to say that the more we find out about something, the more mysterious it becomes. But…
Can We Find the Heaviest Elements in Asteroids?
Uranium is the heaviest element found in large amounts on Earth, with an atomic number of 92. Although heavier elements…
OSIRIS-REx Returned Carbon and Water from Asteroid Bennu
Carbon and water are so common on Earth that they're barely worth mentioning. But not if you're a scientist. They…
Watch OSIRIS-REx Release its Sample Capsule
Most of the spacecraft we send out into the Solar System are never meant to return. Time, space, and entropy…
NASA Opens the Lid on OSIRIS-REx's Sample Capsule
NASA teams have started the intricate process of removing the samples of asteroid Bennu from their canister.
Lucy Has its First Asteroid Target in the Crosshairs
NASA's Lucy spacecraft launched almost one year ago, in October of 2021. Its journey is an ambitious one, and long.…
DART Had a Surprising Impact on its Target
After NASA's DART mission slammed into asteroid Dimorphous in September 2022, scientists determined the impact caused tons of rock to…
The Largest Impact Crater on Earth, 520 km Across, Might Be Hiding Under Australia
Asteroid impacts have arguably killed off more species than almost any other type of disaster since life began on Earth.…
A New Paper Shows How To Change An Asteroid Into A Space Habitat – In Just 12 Years
The basic idea of turning an asteroid into a rotating space habitat has existed for a while. Despite that, it's…
Some Metal Meteorites Have a Tiny Magnetic Field. But How?
A portion of the metallic meteorites found on Earth have traces of magnetism. This is surprising since you need a…