Jay TateA new study reveals the Chicxulub impact crater may have harbored a vast and long-lived hydrothermal system after the catastrophic impact event linked to the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
The Chicxulub impact crater, roughly 180 kilometers in diameter, is the best preserved large impact structure on Earth and a target for exploration of several impact-related phenomena.
…
Jay TateAn unexpected very close approach
On the evening of 27 April (European time), the NASA-funded Pan-STARRS project in Hawaii reported observations of a new asteroid, temporarily labelled P20ZIf8, collected with their second survey telescope over a timespan of less than an hour during the previous observing night.
…
Jay TateA clear picture is emerging of why the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago was so catastrophic.
The space object, which wiped out 75% of all species including the dinosaurs, hit the worst possible place on the planet and – according to new research –
…
Jay TateWe often think of asteroids and comets as distinct types of small bodies, but astronomers have discovered an increasing number of “crossovers.” These objects initially appear to be asteroids, and later develop activity, such as tails, that are typical of comets.
Now, the University of Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) has discovered the first known Jupiter Trojan asteroid to have sprouted a comet-like tail.
…
Jay TateNASA’s first asteroid sample return mission is officially prepared for its long-awaited touchdown on asteroid Bennu’s surface. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has targeted Oct. 20 for its first sample collection attempt.
“The OSIRIS-REx mission has been demonstrating the very essence of exploration by persevering through unexpected challenges,”
…
Jay TateNew research published in the journal Nature Astronomy reveals a type of destructive event most often associated with disaster movies and dinosaur extinction may have also contributed to the formation of the Moon’s surface.
A group of international scientists led by the Royal Ontario Museum has discovered that the formation of ancient rocks on the Moon may be directly linked to large-scale meteorite impacts.
…
Jay TateIn February and July of 2019, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft briefly touched down on the surface of near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. The readings it took with various instruments at those times have given researchers insight into the physical and chemical properties of the 1-kilometer-wide asteroid. These findings could help explain the history of Ryugu and other asteroids,
…
Jay TateIn the early morning of 30 June 1908, something exploded over Siberia. The event shattered the normal stillness of the sparsely populated taiga, so powerful that it flattened an area of forest 2,150 square kilometres (830 square miles) in size – felling an estimated 80 million trees.
…
Jay TateA reasonably small 4-8 m asteroid recently flew by Earth, passing close to satellites orbiting in the geostationary ring at a distance of about 42 735 km from Earth’s centre and only about 1200 km from the nearest satellite.
After the initial discovery, observers around the world rapidly set their eyes on the ‘new’
…
Jay TateBy Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent
A team of UK scientists has provided a new estimate for the amount of space rock falling to Earth each year.
It’s in excess of 16,000kg. This is for meteorite material above 50g in mass.
It doesn’t take account of the dust that’s continuously settling on the planet,
…
