For the first few billion years of the Earth’s existence, the weather forecast was cloudy with a chance of asteroid. Geochemists have presumed for some time that this flurry of strikes altered the chemistry of the nascent atmosphere, but new research now offers clues as to how. In a paper published in Nature Geoscience, a … Continue reading Bombardments from outer space shaped the atmosphere
Tag: asteroids
Let’s rock: Happy International Asteroid Day!
Dinosaurs might not share our enthusiasm, but here at Cosmos we thought we’d take the opportunity to celebrate International Asteroid Day and those cool hunks of space rock whizzing through our solar system. We’ve reported a lot on asteroids over the years, but the last year has been especially interesting. It saw the culmination of … Continue reading Let’s rock: Happy International Asteroid Day!
Asteroid reward
There’s nothing quite as pleasurable as exceeding expectations. Japanese scientists have peeked inside the sample capsule from Japan’s Hayabusa2 sample-return mission and found it to contain 5.4 grams of material from asteroid 162173 Ryugu. “[That’s] far above the target of one-tenth of a gram,” said Hitoshi Kuninaka, vice-president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), … Continue reading Asteroid reward
Grains of dust revise Solar System history
Asteroids that formed far out in the Solar System appear to contain dust grains that themselves condensed from the infant Solar System’s protoplanetary disc much closer to the Sun, scientists say. That means this dust was somehow transported from the inner reaches of the disc to its outer reaches, says Curtis Williams, a geochemist at … Continue reading Grains of dust revise Solar System history
We will rock you: we’re ready for Asteroid Day
Events are planned in 192 countries, so there’s something for everyone. Jeff Glorfeld reports
Is an asteroid going to kill you?
With 20,000 space rocks whizzing around Earth’s neighbourhood, picking the one that’s going to smack into the planet is a tricky task. Lauren Fuge explains.
Hunt on for iron volcanoes on metallic asteroids
Two teams conclude some asteroids once spewed molten metal, as NASA prepares to investigate. Andrew Masterson reports.
Asteroid Bennu is flinging rocks into space
OSIRIS-Rex’s target turns out to be very rare, and very active, posing problems for the mission. Richard A Lovett reports.
Did volcanoes help kill the dinosaurs?
Separate studies arrive at different results, leaving crucial mass extinction question unanswered. Richard A Lovett reports.
Space agency ups risk of asteroid-Earth collision
Assessment pushes new rock up the danger list, but possibility remains very remote. Andrew Masterson reports.
Using asteroid science to track space debris
It’s about the environment as well as safety. Richard A. Lovett reports.
Near-Earth asteroid removed from risk list
European Space Agency cancels 2026 collision risk – leaving just 794 possibilities. Andrew Masterson reports.