Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
Extinction-level asteroid impacts could be far more common than we thought, controversial study suggests
By Stephanie Pappas published
New research claims that giant space rocks hit Earth far more often than has been estimated. But some scientists are skeptical.
Skyscraper-size asteroid will get closer to Earth than the moon on Saturday
By Stephanie Pappas published
Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will zip between Earth and the moon's orbit on March 25 and may be visible with the right telescope.
Key building block for life discovered on distant asteroid Ryugu — and it could explain how life on Earth began
By Ben Turner published
Scientists have found uracil, one of the key building blocks for RNA, on the 200 million-mile-distant asteroid Ryugu
Asteroid feared to hit Earth in 2046 will almost certainly miss, NASA says
By Ben Turner published
An asteroid that was initially given 1-in-600 chance of wiping out an entire city on Valentine's Day 2046 is now expected to almost definitely whizz past us without incident.
Newly discovered asteroid the size of a swimming pool has a 1-in-600 chance of colliding with Earth, NASA says
By Brandon Specktor published
The newly discovered asteroid 2023 DW could collide with Earth in February 2046, although the odds of an impact are low.
What's the smallest known asteroid? What about the largest?
By Joanna Thompson published
Not all asteroids are planet-killers — most are tiny and others are huge. So what are the largest and smallest asteroids in the solar system?
NASA confirms success of DART mission, proving humanity can deflect killer asteroids with rockets
By Brandon Specktor published
Four new studies confirm that NASA's DART mission, which crashed a rocket into the asteroid Dimorphos, changed the asteroid's trajectory and could potentially save Earth one day, given enough time to prepare.
New Hubble footage shows exact moment a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid 7 million miles from Earth
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission slammed into a small space rock last year, and the effects were visible from Earth orbit.
'Building blocks of life' recovered from asteroid Ryugu are older than the solar system itself
By Stephanie Pappas published
The first analyses of samples brought back from the asteroid Ryugu show that this space rock contains some of the molecules needed for life.
NASA warns of 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids headed toward Earth this week. Thankfully, they'll all miss.
By Brandon Specktor published
A trio of enormous asteroids, including two 'potentially hazardous' ones, will cross Earth's orbit around the sun this week, according to NASA. Here's what that means.
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