The sun’s light exerts a tiny force called “solar radiation pressure” on objects in space. Lightweight human-made debris, like hollow rocket parts, gets pushed around more easily, like a tin can in the wind. Natural objects like asteroids are much denser and less affected.
A big asteroid, the size of the Empire State Building, called 2024 WY70 is on a collision course with Earth this weekend.
Alinda, measuring 2.6 miles wide, will be visible this weekend. Stargazers can spot it using basic equipment or watch a livestream. Events like this occur once in a decade.
The Alinda asteroid will be visible with binoculars in a 'once in a decade' event as it brushes past Earth, with its return to the planet not expected until 2087
Further simulations on flybys into the inner Solar System revealed one of our own planets might be flung out of the ballpark within the following 20 million years or so in just 2 percent of cases. In all others, the inner planets remained in slightly altered but still relatively harmonious orbits.
"it's not completely unusual for asteroids to be near the Earth," Gallagher said. "Our moon is about a quarter million miles away from the Earth. So something 7.6 million miles out would be many, many, many times father away from the Earth than the moon is. No cause for alarm."
Typically, asteroids - like the one depicted in this artist's concept - originate from the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars
A meteorite crash-landed on his home’s walkway. Hoping to confirm what he saw on his camera, Velaidum sent his home security video and pictures to Chris Herd, an expert in meteorites at the University of Alberta. Herd confirmed that it was indeed a meteorite and that it was a history-making moment.
Emily Simpson, a passionate space enthusiast and recent Florida Tech graduate, has published groundbreaking research that imagines an alternate version of our solar system. Instead of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter,
Astronomer Dean Regas gives us the lowdown on the best things to look out for this winter, from a “planet parade” to the ATLAS comet.
The asteroid is estimated to be between 656 and 1,443 feet across, and will pass at 16 times the distance to the moon.
Earlier this month, the Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of an unusual asteroid close to Earth. Turns out, it was a car.