Each year, astronomers worldwide discover over 1000 new asteroids or other space rocks that could strike our planet. And if one is spotted heading towards Earth, experts working in ESA and national emergency offices need to know who should do what,

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NASA has joined forces with a nuclear arms agency to learn more about how to deflect, or possibly destroy with nuclear power, asteroids or comets that may collide with Earth and obliterate the planet.

Comets and asteroids are the cosmic rubble left over from the birth of the solar system.

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On Sunday 28 June the Spaceguard Centre held an open day where all comers were treated to a glimpse at what the Centre does, why it does it and how.  Additionally, Project Drax, the project to install a 24″ Schmidt Camera at the Centre featured,

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Europe’s history making Rosetta cometary spacecraft has been granted a nine month mission extension to plus up its bountiful science discoveries as well as been given the chance to accomplish one final and daring historic challenge, as engineers attempt to boldly go and land the probe on the undulating surface of the comet its currently orbiting.

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Nature

Astronomy and science organizations have declared 30 June as Asteroid Day, with plans to talk up the danger of asteroids that might be on a collision course with Earth. One partner in the effort, the Sentinel mission,

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New York Times

In grappling with the threat of doomsday rocks from outer space, Hollywood has always been far ahead of the federal government, cranking out thrillers full of swashbuckling heroes, rockets and nuclear blasts that save the planet.

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In two papers, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, scientists provide an update on their study of debris around the comet. The studies are reported in “Orbital elements of material surrounding comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko” by B. Davidsson et al, and “Search for satellites near comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using Rosetta/OSIRIS images”

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The closer we get to Ceres, the more intriguing the distant dwarf planet becomes. New images of Ceres from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft provide more clues about its mysterious bright spots, and also reveal a pyramid-shaped peak towering over a relatively flat landscape.

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Asteroid Icarus will safely pass by Earth at more than 21 times the distance of Earth to the moon on June 16. To put it another way, Icarus, one of the first near-Earth asteroids ever discovered (1949), will approach no closer than five million miles away (eight million kilometers).

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The receipt of signals from Rosetta’s Philae lander on 13 June after 211 days of hibernation marked the start of intense activity. In coordination with its mission partners, ESA teams are working to juggle Rosetta’s flight plan to help with renewed lander science investigations.

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