Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
![two side by side images. at left, a closeup of a lunar crater. at right, a view of the moon against the blackness of space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zzpem8eX4JZ3xv87GqpSq4-320-80.png)
Earth's weird 'quasi-moon' Kamo'oalewa is a fragment blasted out of big moon crater
By Robert Lea published
Scientists turned into cosmic crime scene investigators to reconstruct the impact that sent Earth's "quasi-moon" Kamo'oalewa rocketing from the lunar surface millions of years ago.
![A chunk of gray rock.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rnm73GKEB3CtX9ECirFoBh-320-80.jpg)
Iconic British meteorite 'Winchcombe' found to have a smashing past
By Keith Cooper published
A detailed analysis of the Winchcombe meteorite has found evidence that its parent asteroid was altered by water before being smashed apart multiple times.
![a black prism-shaped robot with three metal grey legs like a spider.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y2xkZ6CRCX3oggAbeGjSX6-320-80.jpg)
This little robot can hop in zero-gravity to explore asteroids
By Samantha Mathewson published
A three-legged robot named SpaceHopper could help combat challenges of exploring low-gravity environments, such as asteroids or moons.
![a blue line crosses a white line across a black space. Earth hangs at the lines' interesect.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tJ8cch2urjeuWnAbR8wTgb-320-80.jpg)
Car-size asteroid gives Earth a super-close shave with flyby closer than some satellites
By Josh Dinner published
A newly discovered space rock will harmlessly pass by Earth today. Still, at less than a tenth the distance to the moon, asteroid 2024 GJ2 will miss the planet by the skin of its teeth.
![An animation shows Apophis' 2029 path compared to the swarm of satellites orbiting Earth.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZN2MLRSc92EHh25Y2W5ebm-320-80.gif)
Asteroid Apophis will swing past Earth in 2029 — could a space rock collision make it hit us?
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Near-Earth asteroid Apophis will not collide with another space rock until its close approach to Earth in 2029, a new analysis finds.
![artist's illustration of a cube-shaped gold spacecraft with large solar arrays cruising near earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LpVPQLpoRcJi2FTLAJLsXf-320-80.jpg)
Help name the asteroid that Japan's Hayabusa2 probe will fly by in 2026
By Samantha Mathewson published
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft will zoom past a small near-Earth asteroid in 2026 as part of its extended mission — and you could help name the space rock.
![eight grainy images of an oblong rock tumbling in space](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JJmrBK6juFnchdqiSrt27e-320-80.jpg)
NASA radar images show stadium-size asteroid tumbling by Earth during flyby (photos)
By Brett Tingley published
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory used a powerful Deep Space Network radar antenna to image asteroid 2008 OS7 as it spun harmlessly past Earth on Feb. 2, 2024.
![An illustration shows radar spotting an asteroid as it approaches Earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VfLAPHsPmABPHa5E4qqkBi-320-80.png)
Radar could help scientists find potentially threatening asteroids. Here's how
By Robert Lea published
The Greenbank Telescope could join NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar for planetary defense.
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