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An illustration of the trajectory of potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon as it passed by Earth in 2017. New research suggests the asteroid's spin is accelerating.

Bizarre near-Earth asteroid is spinning faster every year — and scientists aren’t sure why

By Harry Baker published

Astronomers have discovered that a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, has an unusual accelerating spin that could eventually change its trajectory through the solar system.

Asteroids
The Hayabusa2 craft touched down on the asteroid Ryugu on Feb. 22, 2019.

Spacecraft with precious asteroid cargo is almost home after 3 billion-mile trek

By Michelle Starr published

On Dec. 6, 2020, after six years in space, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft will finally return to Earth.

Asteroids
An artist's illustration shows how craters on the moon preserve evidence of its violent past.

Meteors more massive than the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck Earth 800 million years ago

By Mindy Weisberger published

A shower of meteors that slammed into the moon (and Earth) had a collective mass estimated to be as much as 60 times that of the asteroid that blasted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Meteoroids
An animation of images captured by cameras on the BepiColombo spacecraft shortly before its closest approach to Earth, on April 10, 2020.

Mercury probe snaps stunning photos of our planet during Earth flyby

By Meghan Bartels published

A spacecraft bound for Mercury beamed home stunning views of Earth during a crucial flyby conducted early today (April 10).

Mercury
BepiColombo Mission First Image

BepiColombo Spacecraft Headed to Mercury Snaps 1st Photo, a Selfie

By Mike Wall published

Mercury
This spectacular photo shows the view from asteroid Ryugu from the Minerva-II1A rover during a hop after it successfully landed on Sept. 21, 2018. The probe is one of two that landed on Ryugu from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spac

They Made It! Japan's Two Hopping Rovers Successfully Land on Asteroid Ryugu

By Meghan Bartels published

A pair of tiny Japanese robots sent back wild images once they successfully landed on their new home, the asteroid Ryugu.

Asteroids
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's JEM Internal Ball Camera, called Int-Ball, can record video in space while remote controlled from the ground.

BB-8 Flies? Adorable Japanese Drone Ball Tours Space Station

By Elizabeth Howell published

Robotics
A file photo of a Japanese H-IIA rocket built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries atop its launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan in 2016. An H-IIA rocket launched Japan's Information Gathering Satellite Radar 5 mission on March 16 EDT (early

Japanese Spy Satellite Launches to Watch North Korea

By Mike Wall published

Space Exploration
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency will test an early space junk removal tether prototype using its HTV-6 robotic cargo ship, as seen in this artist's illustration. The cargo ship launched to the International Space Station in December 2016.

Space Junk Solution? Japan Would Use a Tether to Nab Debris & Destroy It

By Calla Cofield published

A new technology that would use a roughly half-mile-long tether to grab large pieces of space debris and dispose of them is being tested in space.

Space
Anatomy of a Raindrop Video Screenshot

True Shape of Raindrop Revealed in NASA Video

By Nina Sen published

This fascinating video explains how a raindrop falls through the atmosphere and why a more accurate look at raindrops can improve estimates of global precipitation.

Planet Earth
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