Discover the fascinating world of asteroids with the Virtual Telescope Project, operated by Italy’s Bellatrix Observatory. This platform is live-streaming stunning views of asteroids, including exciting flybys.
While many smaller asteroids zoom past Earth unobserved, some create spectacular displays, streaking through our atmosphere as bright fireballs.
The Chelyabinsk meteor, which impacted Russia in 2013, is the largest known space rock to enter Earth’s atmosphere. Its explosion caused significant damage, shattering windows and affecting the Chelyabinsk region.
The tremendous energy of the explosion was equivalent to 30 times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to NASA. The Chelyabinsk meteor weighed around 11,000 tons and had a diameter of roughly 59 feet, making it slightly smaller than asteroid 2026 JH2, though the latter’s precise dimensions are still being determined.
Astronomers leverage a network of ground and space-based telescopes to keep tabs on asteroids and comets that may approach Earth. NASA’s Near Earth Observation Program plays a key role in identifying potentially hazardous asteroids and analyzing their orbits to assess any risks.
One asteroid currently under close scrutiny is Apophis, anticipated to approach Earth even more closely than asteroid 2026 JH2 in the years ahead.
Spanning approximately 1,200 feet in diameter, asteroid Apophis is projected to come within 20,000 miles of Earth on April 13, 2029.
NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft is set to rendezvous with Apophis in June 2029 to investigate how Earth’s gravitational influence affects the orbits and physical characteristics of such space rocks. This mission follows the groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned the first-ever asteroid samples to Earth in 2023.
Having been in space since its launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-APEX mission faces potential budget cuts under the fiscal year 2027 proposal from the Trump administration. If these cuts proceed, OSIRIS-APEX could be among over 50 NASA missions slated for cancellation.
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Asteroid 2026JH2 Approaches Earth Safely
Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
An asteroid known as 2026JH2 is set to make a close approach to Earth next week. Estimated to be around 90,917 kilometers away, it will pass at a quarter of the distance between Earth and the Moon.
According to Dr. Mark Norris from the University of Lancashire, UK, “Astronomically speaking, that’s as close as you can get without a collision.”
Only five asteroids are predicted to pass within the Moon’s orbit this year, with 2026JH2 being the second closest.
Discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona and the Far Point Observatory in Kansas, 2026JH2 will reach its closest point to Earth on May 18th at 9 p.m. UTC. Norris points out that viewing the asteroid will be challenging for southern hemisphere astronomers due to its brief visibility and its high speed of 9.17 kilometers per second, akin to that of a satellite.
Its diameter ranges from 16 to 36 meters, based on data released by Solmano Observatory. “If 2026JH2 were to hit Earth, it would be capable of causing significant destruction, similar to a city-wide catastrophe,” Norris warns.
Astronomers believe they have identified and monitored nearly all asteroids over 1 kilometer in our solar system. As detection techniques advance, we will increasingly catalog smaller asteroids, like 2026JH2, which can be challenging to observe due to inadequate light reflection, according to Dr. Mark Burchell from the University of Kent, UK. “Such small bodies are difficult to detect.”
If 2026JH2 were to collide with Earth, it could unleash energy comparable to that of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite, which produced 30 times the kinetic energy of the Hiroshima bomb, reports the head of the European Space Agency’s Planetary Defense Directorate, Richard Moisle.
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An asteroid, potentially capable of catastrophic destruction, is expected to pass close to Earth next week. The object, 2026JH2, will come within an estimated 90,917 kilometers — merely a quarter of the distance to the Moon.
“In astronomical terms, that’s about the closest approach you can have without a collision,” states Dr. Mark Norris from the University of Lancashire, UK.
Only five known asteroids will traverse within the Moon’s orbit this year, and 2026JH2 is among the closest.
Discovered recently by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona and the Far Point Observatory in Kansas, 2026JH2 will make its
closest approach at 9 p.m. on May 18th (UTC). Dr. Norris notes that visibility may be challenging even for Southern Hemisphere
astronomers, as the asteroid is brief in sight from the North and moves at a pace of 9.17 kilometers per second, similar to a
satellite’s speed across the sky.
With an estimated diameter between 16 and 36 meters, data from Solmano Observatory
suggests that a collision could bring city-level destruction, according to Dr. Norris.
Astronomers believe that they have tracked nearly all asteroids larger than 1 kilometer in our solar system. Advances in observation
methods are expanding the database to include smaller objects. However, asteroids like 2026JH2 remain difficult to detect.
As noted by Dr. Mark Burchell from the University of
Kent, UK, “light reflection is minimal.”
Should 2026JH2 strike Earth, it could result in an event akin to the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite, possessing around 30 times the
kinetic energy unleashed by the Hiroshima bomb, warns the head of the European Space Agency’s Planetary Defense Directorate, Richard Moisle.
Recent nanoscale analysis of Bennu sample OREX-800066-3, obtained from NASA’s groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission, reveals organic compounds and minerals are strategically clustered in distinct regions. This indicates that water once altered the asteroid in a heterogeneous and localized manner.
Mosaic image of asteroid Bennu captured by OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam instrument on December 2, 2018, from a distance of 15 miles (24 km). Image credit: NASA / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Arizona.
Classification of Bennu as a primitive carbonaceous asteroid marks it as one of the best-preserved remnants from the early Solar System.
While meteorites are typically viewed as a source of primitive asteroid material, they face risks of alteration during atmospheric entry and potential contamination on Earth.
In contrast, the samples returned by Bennu are regarded as truly pristine, significantly enhancing the reliability of the findings derived from them.
In a recent study, scientists at Stony Brook University employed nanoscale infrared and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the chemical composition of OREX-800066-3 samples, achieving a spatial resolution ranging from 20 to 500 nanometers per pixel.
All analyses were conducted without exposing the samples to air, preserving sensitive chemical bonds and organic functional groups crucial for accurate detection.
Furthermore, both techniques utilized are non-destructive, which is vital considering the irreplaceable nature of these samples.
At the nanoscale, the fundamental building blocks of asteroid mineralogy and organic chemistry can be investigated within these precious specimens.
The new analysis pinpointed distinct chemical domains, including regions rich in aliphatic compounds, carbonate materials, and nitrogen-containing organic substances.
This finding indicates that water-induced alterations on Bennu are chemically heterogeneous.
Interestingly, nitrogen-rich organic functional groups are preserved despite extensive water-mediated changes.
“These findings have extensive implications for planetary science and astrobiology,” stated Mehmet Yeşiltas, a professor at Stony Brook University.
“They illustrate the survival of chemically sensitive nitrogen-containing organic matter through water alterations in small solar system bodies, impacting fundamental questions about the formation and preservation of organic complexity within primitive planetary material.”
“This may shed light on how organic compounds linked to prebiotic chemistry were delivered to early Earth via carbonaceous asteroids, potentially influencing the chemical processes that led to the origin of life.”
The full study result will be published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Mehmet Yesiltas et al. 2026. Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy reveals the complex organo-mineral assemblage of asteroid Bennu. PNAS 123 (14): e2601891123; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2601891123
Credits: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Mahlenfeld
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has made a groundbreaking discovery: the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever observed. This remarkable asteroid rotates approximately every 1.9 minutes, despite being over half a kilometer in diameter, a speed that defies previous expectations.
Lead researcher Dmitri Vavilov and his team from the University of Washington in Seattle identified this asteroid and several other unexpectedly fast rotators during their observations in late April and early May of 2025. The findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas on March 17th, showcased in this study.
During their observation period, researchers cataloged 76 asteroids with reliably calculated rotation periods, 19 of which were categorized as hyperfast rotators, spinning more than once every 2.2 hours. This figure represents the maximum rotation speed for a “rubble heap” asteroid formed of small rocks loosely bound by gravity.
Typically, asteroids are thought to be composed of debris, so the newfound rapid spin of these celestial bodies was not anticipated. The fastest ultra-high-speed rotating asteroids are known to rotate roughly once every 13 minutes. Initially, the researchers were not looking for asteroids that spun faster than five minutes. Vavilov commented, “I thought it was incredible that they could spin any faster.”
Upon further investigation, the team discovered three asteroids that qualified as ultrafast rotors, with rotation periods of approximately 3.8 minutes, 1.92 minutes, and 1.88 minutes. The record holder, identified as 2025 MN45, measures about 710 meters in diameter and spins faster than any previously documented asteroid larger than 500 meters in diameter.
Given its astonishing speed, this asteroid is unlikely to be a loose conglomerate of debris. Its structure must be significantly more robust than that of typical space rocks. “If this asteroid has a rotational speed of less than 2.2 hours, yet spins faster than 2 minutes,” Vavilov explained, “then even clay wouldn’t suffice to hold it together; it’s likely a single solid mass or primarily composed of metal.”
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is anticipated to unveil more about rapidly rotating asteroids throughout its planned 10-year survey of the southern sky, enriching our understanding of these intriguing cosmic objects.
In 2029, when the asteroid Apophis makes its close pass by Earth, it will be joined by two landers from a private U.S. company.
Measuring around 400 meters in diameter and discovered in 2004, Apophis initially had a concerning 2.7% chance of colliding with Earth in April 2029, which could devastate an area the size of a city. However, updated studies now indicate there’s no risk of impact for at least the next century.
On April 13, 2029, Apophis will fly at a mere 32,000 kilometers from Earth—closer than geostationary satellites. This historic event will allow it to be visible to the naked eye, marking a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for asteroid observation. Multiple spacecraft from the USA, Europe, Japan, and China are slated to observe the asteroid before, during, and after its flyby.
Among these missions, US-based ExLabs has announced its flagship spacecraft, Apophis ExL, has successfully passed a critical review stage. The planned launch in 2028 will carry up to ten different landers and equipment from various clients, including a lander from an undisclosed source and two from Japan’s Chiba Institute of Technology.
“Our goal is to capture images from the asteroid’s surface,” states Miguel Pascual, chief scientific officer and co-founder of ExLabs. “This could lead to groundbreaking scientific discoveries.”
No private company has successfully landed on an asteroid to date, but US asteroid mining firm Astroforge intends to initiate a mission for such a landing this year.
ExLabs plans to deploy Chiba Institute of Technology’s shoebox-sized lander from an altitude of 400 meters above Apophis. It will descend at approximately 10 centimeters per second and land quietly on the surface after an hour, capturing images with onboard cameras.
The landing is strategically scheduled for up to a week post-close-approach to mitigate the risk of altering Apophis’s orbit. Pascual notes that the gravitational influences during the flyby could amplify impacts significantly.
Additionally, the European and Japanese Ramses mission (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) will also deploy a lander. Led by project scientist Patrick Michel of the University of the Cote d’Azur, this mission aims to land a few days prior to the flyby to measure landslide activity induced by Earth’s gravity, potentially documenting ExLabs’ lander as it descends.
“The chance to physically interact with the surface and assess its texture is remarkable,” says Michel.
However, Michel emphasizes the need for seamless communication among all missions to prevent any operational conflicts. “It’s crucial that we adapt accordingly,” he adds. “The world will be observing us. We must ensure success.”
Samples retrieved from the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu by JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 mission reveal the presence of all five essential nucleobases: purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil). This finding suggests that fundamental aspects of life’s chemistry might have a cosmic origin.
Hayabusa2’s image of asteroid Ryugu taken from a distance of 6.9 miles, featuring a large crater at its center. Image credit: JAXA / University of Tokyo and partners.
Nucleobases are critical components of DNA and RNA, the molecules essential for life on Earth.
The detection of these compounds in pristine extraterrestrial materials enables scientists to explore how they form in non-biological contexts and how they traverse the solar system.
Prior analyses of Ryugu samples identified the nucleobase uracil. In comparison, investigations of materials from meteorites and the near-Earth asteroid Bennu have uncovered a broader spectrum of nucleobases.
“To properly evaluate the nucleobases within extraterrestrial materials, it’s crucial to examine samples minimally impacted by terrestrial factors,” explained Dr. Toshiki Koga from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and his team.
“In this scenario, raw asteroid samples that haven’t come into contact with Earth’s atmosphere hold significant scientific importance.”
Carbonate-rich particles found in the material samples from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. Image credit: Pilorget and colleagues, doi: 10.1038/s41550-021-01549-z.
The recent study involved analyzing two samples from Ryugu, collected by the Hayabusa 2 mission.
Both samples showed the presence of all five standard nucleobases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil.
The team compared their results with findings from the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites, as well as samples from the asteroid Bennu.
Significant differences in the relative quantities of nucleobases were observed.
Specifically, Ryugu exhibited roughly equal amounts of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases, whereas the Murchison meteorite showed a predominance of purines, while Bennu and Orgueil samples were richer in pyrimidines.
These variations reflect the distinct chemical, environmental, and evolutionary pathways of each parent body.
The identification of these nucleobases in asteroid and meteorite samples indicates their widespread presence across the solar system, despite chemical variations.
This discovery implies that carbonaceous asteroids may have played a role in shaping Earth’s early chemical landscape.
“Studying the original distribution and isotopic composition of nucleobases in other carbonaceous meteorites will yield key insights into the origins of these compounds and the astrochemical processes involving nitrogen-based molecules,” the researchers noted.
“The universal detection of all five standard nucleobases in Ryugu and Bennu samples underscores the potential for these extraterrestrial molecules to have contributed to the organic material that facilitated prebiotic molecular evolution, ultimately leading to the emergence of RNA and DNA on early Earth.”
Read the full study featured in this week’s issue of Nature Astronomy.
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Tetsuya Koga et al. A comprehensive set of standard nucleobases from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Nat Astron, published online March 16, 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41550-026-02791-z
Ryugu: An asteroid that occasionally approaches Earth.
Credit: JAXA
Recent discoveries from samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu indicate that all five key components of DNA and RNA have been identified. This finding substantiates the theory that asteroids could have played a crucial role in delivering the fundamental building blocks of life to Earth billions of years ago.
In 2018, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully visited Ryugu, employing two projectiles—one large and one small—to gather samples from the asteroid’s surface. After returning to Earth with these samples in 2020, scientific analysis has been ongoing.
Dr. Yasuhiro Ohba and a team of researchers from Hokkaido University analyzed two distinct samples from Ryugu: surface material and subsurface material obtained from the excavation caused by the projectile. The findings revealed all five major nucleobases, which are essential components that pair with sugars and phosphates to create nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA.
This isn’t the first instance of nucleobases being detected in asteroid samples; they have also been found in meteorities and samples from the asteroid Bennu. However, researchers observed variability in the abundance of nucleobases across different samples, pointing toward the potential to trace asteroids and meteorites back to their original celestial bodies, thus unraveling their evolutionary history.
The detection of nucleobases in samples from Ryugu and other asteroids highlights their potential significance in the history of life on Earth. “Their presence in Ryugu reinforces their prevalence throughout the solar system,” states Ohba. If these asteroids are indeed abundant in the precursors of DNA, they may have been instrumental in the emergence of life on our planet.
Furthermore, Ryugu and similar asteroids might harbor even more complex organic molecules, including nucleic acids. “Complex organic compounds like DNA and RNA are likely to form in asteroids,” notes Ohba, underscoring their critical role in the origin of life on Earth.
Recent research highlights an extraordinary extremophile organism, Deinococcus radiodurans, known for its remarkable resilience. This unique microbe can endure the harsh conditions of radiation, frigid temperatures, and arid environments typically encountered during interplanetary transport. New findings suggest that Deinococcus radiodurans also possesses outstanding resistance to the extreme transient pressures generated by impact ejection from Mars. Consequently, this raises the possibility that such resilient life forms could traverse between planets in our solar system following a significant asteroid impact.
Artist’s impression of an asteroid. Image credit: Mark A. Garlick, Space-art.co.uk / University of Warwick / University of Cambridge.
Impact craters are prevalent on the surfaces of numerous celestial bodies, with the Moon and Mars being among the most cratered.
Scientific findings indicate that asteroid impacts can propel materials across space, as evidenced by the discovery of a Martian meteorite on Earth.
Furthermore, researchers have long speculated that asteroids could also launch microscopic life forms into space.
This theory, known as the lithopanspermia hypothesis, suggests that life could be ejected into space and potentially land on other planets.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, led by Kariat (KT) Ramesh, simulated conditions under which microbes like Deinococcus radiodurans could be expelled into space due to an impact force.
The researchers placed the bacteria between two steel plates and applied pressure with a third plate, demonstrating that these microbes can withstand pressures of up to 3 GPa (30,000 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure).
By analyzing gene expression, they were able to observe biological stress responses within the bacteria under varying pressures.
While samples subjected to 2.4 GPa started to exhibit membrane damage, the unique structure of the bacterial cell envelope accounts for a survival rate of 60% among the microorganisms.
The transcriptional profiles indicated that these resilient bacteria prioritize repairing cellular damage in the aftermath of an impact.
“While we have yet to confirm the existence of life on Mars, if it exists, it likely shares similar survival capabilities,” Ramesh remarked.
“This study suggests that life could endure being ejected from one planet and travel to another.”
“These findings significantly alter our understanding of the origins of life on Earth,” remarked Dr. Lily Chao, also from Johns Hopkins University.
“Our research indicates that life can survive massive impacts and eruptions, implying that life may travel between planets. Perhaps we are all Martians!”
These findings were published in this week’s edition of PNAS Nexus. For detailed insights, refer to the study.
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Lily Chao et al. 2026. Extremophiles can withstand temporary pressures associated with impact ejection from Mars. PNAS Nexus 5(3):pgag018; doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag018.
Deep in the cold void of space lies a potential asteroid threat that could obliterate most life on Earth. Is such a fate unavoidable? Can we potentially avert disaster, or are we fated for a catastrophic end similar to the dinosaurs? Here’s what science reveals.
The asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago measured at least 10 kilometers across. Its massive impact resulted in catastrophic tsunamis, widespread wildfires, and global darkness. Estimates of Earth’s crater history suggest that an asteroid of this magnitude collides with Earth roughly every 60 million years. Smaller asteroids, around 1 kilometer in diameter, impact the Earth approximately every million years, with the last significant event occurring around 900,000 years ago. These statistics are understandably alarming.
However, unlike the dinosaurs, humans possess the unique ability to observe and analyze our universe. Consequently, scientists are diligently working global efforts to catalog asteroids and assess which pose a threat.
Fortunately, among the thousands of near-Earth objects currently monitored by astronomers, only 35 present a risk greater than 1 in 1 million of colliding with Earth in the next century. Moreover, the vast majority of these potential threats measure less than 100 meters in diameter. So, is an extinction-level asteroid likely to strike during our lifetime? The probability is extremely low.
Nonetheless, discerning readers will note phrases like “about the asteroid we are tracking,” “a small possibility,” and “almost.” Such wording implies that we can’t confirm we’ve detected every asteroid out there. Rarely, we receive sensational news about newly discovered asteroids nearing Earth, but in many instances, these rocks pass safely by.
To estimate the number of detected asteroids, astronomers calculate three factors: the total number of known asteroids, the volume of the sky explored, and the power of the telescopes used. They estimate that all asteroids larger than 10 kilometers posing a danger to Earth have been accounted for. Breathe easy; the likelihood of experiencing an event similar to the dinosaurs’ extinction is minimal.
Currently, about 80 percent of kilometers-wide asteroids have been identified, indicating a low chance of unforeseen impacts. Asteroids smaller than 100 meters pose little threat, and incidents like the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013 typically result in minor damage as they incinerate upon atmospheric entry.
However, the so-called “urban killer”—the asteroids within the 100-meter range—remain concerning, as we have only detected less than half of these. If you’re worried about asteroids, these smaller threats warrant closer scrutiny.
Luckily, we have technology at our disposal that differentiates us from the dinosaurs. Our first line of defense involves monitoring space with advanced telescopes. Continuous efforts to observe near-Earth objects are underway, highlighted by the upcoming launch of the NEO Surveyor next year, which aims to greatly enhance our capacity to track these asteroids.
The second defense mechanism provided by space exploration is the capacity to respond if a threatening asteroid is detected. NASA’s 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test demonstrated the potential to redirect an asteroid, ensuring we could alter its path if necessary. Provided we have sufficient notice—typically requiring several years of monitoring—we can adjust trajectories to avert collision.
In the event that an asteroid does hit Earth, the impact would be a natural yet predictable disaster. If an asteroid strikes, it could crash into the ocean or an uninhabited region. According to the World Economic Forum, less than 15 percent of the Earth’s lands (under 4.3 percent of the total surface area) have been significantly modified by humans, with even fewer areas inhabited.
If an asteroid were to threaten one of these few populated areas, we have strategies similar to managing any natural disaster: evacuation, damage control, and sheltering in place. Strengthening our overall disaster response capabilities prepares us for such scenarios and aids in managing more plausible and unpredictable disasters.
So, returning to our initial question: Are asteroids inevitable? Absolutely. Is there a solution? Very likely. Will we face a fate akin to the dinosaurs? If so, it remains far off in the future. Instead of succumbing to worry, invest your energy in preparedness—learn about natural disaster responses and keep an eye on asteroids like the vigilant scientists do.
In the iconic 1980 film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Han Solo and his crew brave the dangers of an asteroid field while fleeing Imperial forces. Droid C-3PO famously states, “The odds of successfully navigating the asteroid belt are about 3,720 to 1.”
This dramatic scene illustrates a chaotic asteroid field filled with swirling rocks, a scenario that has been widely depicted in cinema.
However, the truth about our solar system’s asteroid belt is quite different from Hollywood portrayals. Astronomers estimate that the average distance between asteroids in this belt is nearly 1 million kilometers, based on the volume of the belt and the estimated number and size of the asteroids.
As a result, navigating between asteroids is quite feasible due to the vast distances separating them.
In fact, numerous space probes have successfully traversed the asteroid belt. NASA’s Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to do so. On July 15, 1972, this car-sized probe entered the asteroid belt, embarking on a seven-month, 434 million km (267 million mile) journey through the main belt.
Initially, mission planners had limited data on the density of the asteroid belt, but their assumptions proved correct, allowing the spacecraft to pass through without incident.
Since Pioneer 10, eight additional spacecraft—including Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Ulysses, Galileo, Cassini, New Horizons, and Juno—have navigated the asteroid belt. Remarkably, none of these missions had to avoid asteroids, and none encountered problems.
Conditions may vary in other star systems, where asteroids could be more densely packed. However, such asteroid formations are generally unstable and do not persist for long due to frequent collisions and fragmentation.
Therefore, the typical science fiction image of a crowded, fast-moving asteroid swarm is unlikely to exist in reality.
This article answers the question posed by Suzanne Baxter of Cornwall: “How difficult would it be to fly through an asteroid belt?”
Artist’s impression of asteroid 2025 MN45. Image credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory / NOIRLab / SLAC / AURA / P. Marenfeld.
Asteroids orbiting the sun rotate at varying speeds, providing critical insights into their formation conditions billions of years ago, as well as their internal structure and evolutionary history.
Fast-spinning asteroids may have been propelled by prior collisions with other space rocks, suggesting they could be remnants of larger parent bodies.
To withstand such rapid spinning, these asteroids must possess enough internal strength to prevent fragmentation, a process where an object breaks apart due to its rotation speed.
Most asteroids consist of aggregates of debris, with their construction limiting how swiftly they can spin without disintegrating based on their density.
In the main asteroid belt, the threshold for stable fast rotation is approximately 2.2 hours. Asteroids exceeding this rotation period must be exceptionally strong to remain intact.
The faster an asteroid spins and the larger it is, the more durable its material must be.
A recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals important insights into asteroid composition and evolution, showcasing how the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is redefining our understanding of solar system discoveries.
This research presents data on 76 asteroids with verified rotation rates.
It includes 16 ultra-fast rotators with periods ranging from approximately 13 minutes to 2.2 hours, along with three extreme rotators completing a full rotation in under 5 minutes.
All 19 newly identified high-rotation objects exceed the length of an American football field (around 90 meters).
Notably, the fastest-spinning known main-belt asteroid, 2025 MN45, has a diameter of 710 meters and completes a rotation every 1.88 minutes.
This combination establishes it as the fastest rotating asteroid discovered, surpassing 500 meters in diameter.
“Clearly, this asteroid must be composed of exceptionally strong material to maintain its structure at such high rotation speeds,” commented Dr. Sarah Greenstreet, an astronomer at NSF’s NOIRLab and the University of Washington.
“Our calculations suggest it requires cohesive forces comparable to solid rock.”
“This is intriguing because most asteroids are believed to be ‘rubble heap’ structures, composed of numerous small rocks and debris that coalesced through gravitational forces during solar system formation and collisions.”
“Discoveries like this incredibly fast-rotating asteroid result from the observatory’s unmatched ability to deliver high-resolution time-domain astronomical data, thus expanding the limits of what we can observe,” stated Regina Lameika, DOE associate director for high-energy physics.
In addition to 2025 MN45, other significant asteroids researched by the team include 2025 MJ71 (rotation period of 1.9 minutes), 2025 MK41 (rotation period of 3.8 minutes), 2025 MV71 (rotation period of 13 minutes), and 2025 MG56 (rotation period of 16 minutes).
All five of these ultra-fast rotators are several hundred meters in diameter, categorizing them as the fastest-rotating subkilometer asteroids known to date, including several near-Earth objects.
“As this study illustrates, even during its initial commissioning stages, Rubin allows us to investigate populations of relatively small, very fast-rotating main-belt asteroids that were previously unattainable,” Dr. Greenstreet concluded.
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Sarah Greenstreet et al. 2026. Light curve, rotation period, and color of the first asteroid discovered by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. APJL 996, L33; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae2a30
Asteroids are an intrinsic aspect of our solar system. Millions of rocky bodies orbit the sun, including those categorized as near-Earth asteroids, which occasionally come close to our planet. While cinematic portrayals often depict asteroid strikes as abrupt, inevitable catastrophes, experts contend that in reality, the risk is significantly more manageable and frequently preventable.
But what are the actual probabilities of an asteroid colliding with Earth? Recent studies shed light on this issue and offer some unexpected insights.
What are the chances that an asteroid will hit Earth?
A major asteroid impact would have effects that could be felt globally. Depending on its landing site, it might either harmlessly drop into the ocean or inflict severe damage on populated regions.
“Most people on Earth are likely aware of moderate to large asteroid impacts,” explains Carrie Nugent, a planetary scientist at the Olin Institute of Technology in Massachusetts.
However, Nugent emphasizes that catastrophic outcomes are exceedingly rare. While our planet has faced significant asteroid impacts throughout its history, including a notable one that contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, current scientific understanding suggests there is no immediate cause for alarm.
New research on asteroid impact probability
Nugent, along with a team from Aalborg University in Denmark, employed computer simulations to analyze the risks associated with asteroid impacts. Their research concentrated on asteroids akin to recognized Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
Utilizing the publicly available NASA JPL Horizons system, they simulated the orbits of these asteroids to determine the frequency with which they intersect Earth’s orbit, allowing researchers to estimate the likelihood of large asteroids striking our planet.
According to their findings published on August 12th in the Planetary Science Journal:
Asteroids over 140 meters (460 feet) – Roughly equivalent to the length of a small cruise ship
Collisions with Earth approximately once every 11,000 years
Keeping asteroid risks in perspective
Understanding probabilities like “once every 11,000 years” can be complex. To provide clarity, Nugent compared asteroid impacts to other more familiar real-world events.
Her analysis revealed that:
You are more likely to survive an asteroid impact than to be struck by lightning.
Conversely, your chances of dying in a car accident are significantly higher than from an asteroid collision.
There are also other low-probability but high-risk events, such as the collapse of a deep hole in dry sand, that can result in fatalities but remain largely unknown to the general public.
“This is an extremely rare cause of death that many are unaware of,” Nugent noted, underscoring how human perception often miscalculates risk.
Can asteroid collisions be prevented?
In contrast to popular narratives in films and literature, asteroid strikes are not fate-driven events. In fact, scientists have demonstrated that altering an asteroid’s trajectory is possible.
In 2022, NASA’s DART mission successfully changed the path of a small asteroid that posed no threat to Earth. This experiment showcased that, with sufficient warning, we could potentially deflect a hazardous asteroid and avert a collision entirely.
“This is the only natural disaster we can completely prevent,” Nugent asserts.
Why asteroid tracking is important
Continuous research and sky survey initiatives are crucial for planetary defense. Early detection and tracking of near-Earth asteroids provide scientists ample time to evaluate risks and take necessary actions if needed.
Modern asteroid detection systems are continually improving, diminishing uncertainty and enhancing Earth’s preparedness against cosmic threats.
Conclusion
Though asteroid strikes captivate public imagination, scientific evidence indicates that they are infrequent, quantifiable, and preventable. Advances in tracking technology and the success of missions like NASA’s DART test reassure us that Earth is better shielded than ever.
Experts suggest that asteroid research should foster confidence and continued investment in planetary defense rather than fear.
Composite image of Fomalhaut’s dust belt (center hidden). The inset displays dust cloud cs1 taken in 2012 together with dust cloud cs2 from 2023.
NASA, ESA, Paul Karas/University of California, Berkeley
Around the star Fomalhaut, asteroids are involved in collisions that generate massive dust clouds. This is the first time astronomers are witnessing these events, offering insights into the early days of our solar system.
Fomalhaut has had its share of unusual findings. In 2008, Paul Kalas, based on observations from the Hubble Space Telescope in 2004 and 2005, reported a potential giant planet orbiting the young star. Over the years, however, the nature of this peculiar object, dubbed Fomalhaut b, has sparked heated debates. It could either be a planet slightly larger than Jupiter or simply a cloud of debris.
Now, Kalas and his team have revisited Fomalhaut using Hubble. “In 2023, we utilized the same equipment as before, and Fomalhaut b was undetectable. It was effectively gone,” says Kalas, “What appeared was a new Fomalhaut b.”
This new bright feature, named Fomalhaut CS2 (short for “circumstellar light source”), cannot be a planet, as it would have been identified earlier. The leading theory is that it represents a dust cloud resulting from the collision of two large asteroids or planetesimals, each approximately 60 kilometers in diameter. The disappearance of Fomalhaut b implies that it may have been a similar dust cloud all along.
“These sources exhibit noise and instability, so we’re still far from drawing definitive conclusions,” notes David Kipping at Columbia University. “Yet, all existing evidence aligns well with a broader narrative of collisions between protoplanets in nascent systems.”
Interestingly, it’s unexpected to observe such a significant break twice. “The hypothesis suggests that we shouldn’t witness such impacts more than once every 100,000 years, if not even more infrequently. And yet, for some unexplained reason, we seem to observe it twice within 20 years,” Kalas explains. “Fomalhaut lights up like a holiday tree and it’s astounding.”
This might indicate that collisions among planetesimals are occurring more frequently than previously thought, particularly around relatively young stars like Fomalhaut. Kalas and his team plan to conduct further observations over the next three years utilizing both Hubble and the more powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to track the behavior of Fomalhaut CS2 and attempt to pick up faint signals from Fomalhaut b.
This presents a rare opportunity to witness these collisions first-hand. “To comprehend these violent phenomena, we no longer need to rely solely on theoretical models; we can observe them in real time,” Kalas states. Further observations may enlighten us not only about young planetary systems generally but also about our own early solar system’s position in the cosmic landscape.
“We have long pondered whether the collisions that formed our moon are typical of what occurs throughout the universe, and now we have strong evidence suggesting they are indeed common,” Kipping remarked. “Perhaps we are not as unique as some may assume.”
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In 2025, the threat of a disastrous asteroid impact momentarily heightened when astronomers detected a building-sized asteroid on a collision course with Earth.
Known as 2024 YR4, this asteroid was initially identified by astronomers in late December 2024, with estimates placing its size between 40 and 90 meters. Any potential trajectory through our solar system would intersect a narrow zone that includes Earth, leading astronomers to initially assess a 1 in 83 probability of collision in 2032.
As they monitored the asteroid’s orbit more closely in early 2025, the likelihood of an impact was updated to a concerning 1 in 32 by February.
If it had impacted close to an urban area, the consequences would have been devastating, equivalent to several megatons of TNT. The asteroid was temporarily classified as a 3 on the Turin scale, where 0 means no threat and 10 signifies a global catastrophe. This raised alarms among several United Nations agencies, resulting in coordinated efforts for a global telescope campaign and discussions on the necessity of an asteroid deflection mission.
During this period, global space agencies convened regularly to share observations and enhance understanding of the asteroid. “2024 YR4 proved to be a significant learning experience for us,” stated Richard Moisle from the European Space Agency (ESA). “This served as crucial training to enhance our capabilities related to asteroid detection and understanding the overarching challenges.”
By February 20, astronomers had refined the trajectory of 2024 YR4, effectively removing Earth from the asteroid’s predicted path, and ESA subsequently reduced the collision risk to 1 in 625, or 0.16 percent. Weeks later, both NASA and ESA confirmed that there was no longer any risk of collision. “They are not considered a threat to our planet,” affirmed Moisle.
Nonetheless, astronomers still acknowledge a minor risk of a lunar impact, estimated at about 4% for 2032. “Should we hit the moon, it would provide a unique opportunity to observe the impact process from a safe distance,” commented Gareth Collins from Imperial College London.
Researchers are now assessing the potential ramifications of an asteroid impacting the moon, including the risk of debris cascading toward Earth. They are also exploring the feasibility of a deflection mission and strategizing on how to effectively dispatch a small satellite to an asteroid in an attempt to detonate it with a nuclear device. “We must tread carefully to ensure that a moon impact does not unintentionally lead to an Earth impact,” Rang Moisle.
The present 4 percent chance of a lunar collision is not sufficiently alarming to compel global space agencies to initiate a formal mission. This probability is unlikely to shift soon, as 2024 YR4 is currently obscured by the Sun and won’t be visible until 2028. However, due to its unique positioning in Earth’s orbit, there will be a rare opportunity to observe it with the James Webb Space Telescope in February 2026. Moisle indicated that since planning an asteroid mission can take years, data from these observations will represent the last realistic chance to determine whether a mission to visit or deflect the asteroid is warranted.
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Scientists have discovered an unexpectedly high quantity of pre-solar particles (dust from supernovae predating our solar system) in samples obtained from the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu by NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft.
Characterization of pre-solar spinel hibonite particles collected from the asteroid Bennu. Image credit: Nguyen et al., doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02688-3.
Dr. Anh Nguyen from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and colleagues noted, “Pre-solar stardust particles are typically found in trace amounts within meteorites, interplanetary dust particles, Antarctic meteorites, samples returned from comet 81 P/Wild2 by NASA’s Stardust mission, and those from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu collected by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission.”
“Their distinct isotopic compositions arise from nucleosynthetic processes in evolved red giant stars, supernovae, and novae.”
“The mineralogy and chemistry of these pre-solar particles can provide insights into condensation conditions and the impacts of secondary alteration, as they are prone to changes and destruction in space, solar nebulae, and planetesimals.”
In their study, researchers examined pre-solar particles found within two different rock types in the samples from Bennu.
The sample had six times the particles compared to any other astronomical material studied, indicating its parent body formed in an area of a protoplanetary disk abundant with the dust from a dying star.
The research also pointed out that while Bennu’s parent asteroid has experienced significant fluid-induced alterations, there are still pockets of less-altered material within the sample, offering clues to its origins.
“These remnants are rich in organic compounds and pre-solar silicate particles, which are generally vulnerable to alteration caused by asteroid water,” Dr. Nguyen remarked.
“It’s remarkable that they were preserved in the Bennu sample, suggesting certain materials escaped alteration in the parent body.”
“Our investigation highlights the variety of pre-solar material that accumulates during parent formation.”
A study detailing the findings was published in the journal on December 2nd, in Nature Astronomy.
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Anh Nguyen et al. Abundant supernova dust and heterogeneous water alteration revealed by stardust of two lithofacies on asteroid Bennu. Nat Astron published online on December 2, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02688-3
This rubbery material is a first for space observations and likely originated during the early formation of the solar system as Bennu’s parent asteroid heated up. Initially soft and pliable, it hardened into an ancient “space gum” made up of a polymer rich in nitrogen and oxygen. The presence of such complex molecules may have contributed essential chemical precursors for the emergence of life on Earth, making their discovery in Bennu’s pristine samples crucial for scientists studying the origins of life and the potential for life beyond our planet.
Electron micrograph of particles taken from a Bennu sample. Image credit: Sandford et al., doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5.
Bennu’s parent asteroid originated from material in the solar nebula (the rotating cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system) and was composed of various minerals and ice.
As the asteroid warmed from natural radiation, compounds known as carbamates were created through reactions involving ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Despite being water-soluble, carbamates can persist long enough to polymerize and interact with other molecules, forming larger, more complex chains that are water-resistant.
This indicates that the parent asteroid formed before it became a watery environment.
“With this unusual material, we may be observing one of the earliest transformations that occurred in this rock,” stated Dr. Scott Sandford, a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center.
“In this ancient asteroid, formed in the early epochs of our solar system, we are witnessing events close to the dawn of time.”
The study explored the properties of this gum-like substance from Bennu.
As more information was revealed, it became apparent that the material was deposited in layers over ice and mineral grains present on the asteroid.
This material was also flexible, resembling the texture of used gum or soft plastic.
During their analysis, researchers observed that this peculiar material could bend and create indentations when pressure was applied.
The object was translucent and became brittle upon radiation exposure, reminiscent of a lawn chair left outdoors for several seasons.
“Analyzing its chemical composition shows that it contains similar chemical groups found in polyurethane on Earth, thus making this Bennu material comparable to ‘space plastic’,” Dr. Sandford explained.
“However, the material from ancient asteroids goes beyond just being polyurethane, which is a structured polymer.”
“It has a more random assortment of connections, with varying elemental compositions for each particle.”
The team’s findings were published in the Journal on December 2, 2025, in Nature Astronomy.
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SA Sandford et al. Nitrogen- and oxygen-rich organic material indicates polymerization in preaqueous low-temperature chemistry in Bennu’s parent body. Nat Astron published online on December 2, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5
A collaborative effort by researchers from the U.S. and Japan examined extracts from near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu, gathered by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security Regolith Explorer) spacecraft, and uncovered several bioessential sugars, such as ribose (an RNA sugar) and glucose (a metabolic substrate).
This mosaic image of asteroid Bennu consists of 12 images collected by OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam instrument on December 2, 2018 from a range of 15 miles (24 km). Image credit: NASA / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Arizona.
“The OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned 121.6 g of regolith (unconsolidated granular material) from Bennu to Earth on September 24, 2023, under stringent conditions,” stated Yoshihiro Furukawa, a researcher at Tohoku University, along with his team.
“The samples were preserved in high-purity nitrogen at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.”
“Initial studies revealed that Bennu possesses mineralogical and elemental traits similar to carbonaceous chondrites, is enriched in carbon and nitrogen compared to most meteorites, but resembles ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites, and has undergone extensive aqueous alteration.”
“The analyzed samples from Bennu so far include soluble organic compounds like amino acids, amines, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, nucleobases, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and a diverse array of soluble molecules comprising carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur.”
“We utilized this pristine asteroid material to investigate extraterrestrial bioessential sugars.”
The research team made a notable discovery of ribose, which contains five carbon atoms, and glucose, which has six, marking the first time these sugars have been identified in extraterrestrial samples.
While these sugars do not serve as direct evidence of life, their detection—along with previously identified amino acids, nucleobases, and carboxylic acids in Bennu samples—suggests that the fundamental building blocks of biomolecules were widely distributed throughout the solar system.
Furukawa et al. We discovered the essential sugars ribose and glucose in samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Image credit: NASA / Goddard / University of Arizona / Dan Gallagher.
In Earth life, deoxyribose and ribose serve as critical components of DNA and RNA, respectively.
DNA is the primary vehicle for genetic information within cells. RNA, on the other hand, has various roles, and its presence is vital for life as we know it.
The ribose in RNA forms the sugar-phosphate “backbone” of the molecule, linking together nucleobases that carry genetic information.
“All five nucleobases that constitute DNA and RNA, along with phosphate, have already been identified in the Bennu samples brought back by OSIRIS-REx,” Dr. Furukawa noted.
“The recent discovery of ribose confirms that all elements required to form RNA molecules are present in Bennu.”
“Finding ribose in an asteroid sample is not unexpected.”
“Ribose has previously been found in two meteorites on Earth.”
“What’s significant about the Bennu sample is that researchers did not identify any deoxyribose.”
“If Bennu is indicative of conditions, it suggests that ribose may have been more abundant than deoxyribose in the early solar system environment.”
The researchers theorize that the detected ribose, along with the absence of deoxyribose, bolsters the RNA world hypothesis. This hypothesis posits that the first forms of life relied on RNA as the main molecule for storing information and facilitating the chemical reactions crucial for survival.
“Modern life relies on a complex system organized primarily by three types of functional biopolymers: DNA, RNA, and proteins,” Dr. Furukawa elaborated.
“However, early forms of life may have been simpler. RNA not only stores genetic information but can also catalyze numerous biological reactions, making it a strong candidate for the earliest functional biomacromolecule.”
“Bennu’s samples also contain glucose, a fundamental energy source for life on Earth, providing the first evidence that an essential energy source was present in the early solar system as well.”
a paper detailing these findings was published in this week’s edition of Nature Earth Science.
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Yuya Furukawa et al. Bioessential sugars found in samples from the asteroid Bennu. Nature Earth Science published online on December 2, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41561-025-01838-6
Crucial components required for the emergence of life as we recognize it have been found in asteroid Bennu samples. This discovery suggests that Bennu might have transported the vital elements for life to Earth and potentially to other locations.
In 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission gathered samples from Bennu, an asteroid that travels hundreds of millions of kilometers through space, situated between Mars and Jupiter. The mission successfully returned these samples to Earth in 2023. Since then, the 121 grams collected have been distributed to laboratories worldwide for examination, enabling scientists to start identifying various biological compounds.
Preliminary investigations uncovered the existence of water, carbon, and several organic molecules. Subsequently, they identified amino acids, formaldehyde, and all five nucleobases found in RNA and DNA, along with phosphates. However, these findings do not suffice for constructing molecules that encode genetic information, as the crucial sugars—ribose for RNA and deoxyribose for DNA—were not detected in the initial analysis of the Bennu samples.
Recently, Yoshihiro Furukawa and his team from Tohoku University in Japan ground some of the sample and mixed it with acid and water. They then utilized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to separate and identify the mixture’s components.
This process confirmed the presence of ribose, alongside other sugars like lyxose, xylose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose, but notably lacked deoxyribose.
“This is a groundbreaking find, showing that sugars exist in extraterrestrial materials,” Furukawa remarked, noting that nearly all life relies on glucose for metabolic processes.
“This is a significant achievement of the OSIRIS-REx mission,” says Sara Russell, from the Natural History Museum in London. Although not part of Furukawa’s team, she also works with Bennu samples. “Previously, the only component missing was sugar, which has now been identified, confirming that all essential elements of RNA were present in this primitive asteroid.”
Furukawa and his colleagues propose that Bennu’s parent asteroid generated sugars from saltwater rich in formaldehyde, suggesting the asteroid was saturated with liquid and exhibited numerous chemical reactions.
“Earlier this year, we reported salt findings in the returned samples, indicating that Bennu’s parent body likely housed a saltwater pool,” Russell stated. “Such conditions would provide an optimal environment for synthesizing the complex organic materials found in Bennu.”
Evidence of saline water on Saturn’s moon Enceladus and the dwarf planet Ceres points towards the possibility that fundamental life ingredients might be plentiful throughout the solar system, according to Russell.
Furukawa’s research includes prior discoveries of ribose and other sugars in meteorites, but he emphasized concerns about potential contamination once these compounds reached Earth. “The presence of these sugars in the Bennu sample affirms the legitimacy of these results,” he stated.
The new findings suggest that the asteroid could indeed have supplied all the requisite components for life to other celestial bodies within the solar system, including Earth and Mars, according to Furukawa. The discovery of ribose but not deoxyribose further supports the RNA world hypothesis concerning life’s origins.
This hypothesis posits that, well before the advent of cellular life or DNA-based organisms, Earth’s earliest life forms were RNA molecules capable of carrying genetic information and self-replication.
Ryan Wills. Barry Hetherington. ESA; NASA; Adobe Stock
For over five decades, Richard Binzel has been studying the skies for potentially hazardous asteroids. In 1995, he introduced the Near-Earth Object Hazard Index, which was later renamed the Torino Scale. This scale evaluates asteroids on a scale from 0 to 10, determined by both the probability of an impact with Earth and the potential destruction that impact could cause.
This year, Binzel’s scale gained attention when asteroid 2024 YR4 briefly reached a level 3 status, marking the first time an asteroid had achieved this level in two decades. Although the immediate risks have since diminished, this event highlighted the continued necessity of the Torino Scale. Binzel, who is affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reassured us that such peak levels are unlikely to be reached during our lifetimes or even those of our grandchildren. He discussed with New Scientist the nuances of asteroid hunting, the risk of catastrophic collisions, and the trajectory of planetary defense.
Alex Wilkins: How was the asteroid impact risk perceived when you began your career?
Richard Binzel: I published my first paper in the 1970s. [Geologist] Eugene Shoemaker was aware that the craters on Earth were the result of impacts. Hence, I grew up understanding that asteroid impacts are a natural phenomenon still occurring today within our solar system.
Public perception was dismissive at best. While Shoemaker focused on serious scientific inquiry without much regard for public opinion, others, including astronomers Clark Chapman, David Morrison, and Don Yeomans, began acknowledging the importance of public communication. In 1989, Chapman and Morrison published Space Catastrophe, which offered one of the first serious examinations of this subject for the general public. The discovery of the KT boundary layer by Alvarez, associated with the Chicxulub asteroid that may have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, served as a pivotal wake-up call regarding modern geological history’s potential impacts.
What prompted you to create the Near-Earth Object Hazard Index?
In 1997, an object designated XF11 exhibited a non-zero collision probability based on its initial orbit. Email was just starting to gain traction, and I was part of a small email communication group consisting of Brian Marsden, Yeomans, Chapman, and Morrison discussing how to handle this information. I was eager to publish findings but wanted to ensure accuracy regarding the risk. As further measurements of its orbit were conducted, the probability of collision was expected to fade. Why raise the alarm if the risk would likely disappear?
Marsden decided to draft a press release just as he was uncovering early observations that allowed him to conclude the collision probability was zero. I recall Yeomans sending an email stating, “Hey everyone, it’s zero.” Marsden believed it was crucial to communicate this to the public, though most of us felt we weren’t ‘crying wolf.’
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I first presented this idea at a United Nations conference, but it was not well received. “
This experience underscored the necessity of having a method of communication when an asteroid is discovered—even if small—with a non-zero collision probability. It’s crucial to be patient and acquire sufficient data to resolve uncertainties. It’s vital not to suppress information when similar objects are found elsewhere, as secrecy breeds distrust. We unanimously agreed that transparency was paramount, allowing people to understand what we knew as early as possible. This philosophy gave birth to what was initially termed the Near-Earth Object Hazard Index.
A diagram showing what the Chicxulub crater on the Yucatán Peninsula looked like immediately after the asteroid impact that may have wiped out the dinosaurs.
D. Van Ravenswaay/Science Photo Library
How was your idea received initially?
Coincidentally, I attended a United Nations conference focused on near-Earth asteroids where I first presented this concept, but it met with skepticism. Some attendees argued it was unnecessary since details about an orbit could be explained through longitude, latitude, and ascending node. They deemed a straightforward 0 to 10 scale superfluous. Arrogantly, some astronomers insisted they need not depend on it, believing they were knowledgeable enough to interpret complex three-dimensional orbital properties.
Nevertheless, I persisted. After bringing it back to the Turin conference, I decided to name it the Turin Scale. I aimed to avoid personal attribution to maintain humility; it was for collective benefit.
The Turin Scale assigns an asteroid a score from 0 to 10 based on its size and risk of hitting Earth.
Was the outcome as you expected?
I anticipated more activity than what we’ve observed, likely due to the effective tracking methods in place for objects. If there’s a non-zero probability associated with an object, it typically gets sorted out quickly.
Over a dozen objects have achieved a score of 1 on the Turin scale with minimal publicity, but that’s precisely as intended. It’s akin to the Richter scale; when Californians learn they might experience a magnitude 1 or 2 earthquake, it doesn’t disrupt their day.
What does the future hold for asteroid tracking?
The pace of near-Earth asteroid discovery is set to surge with the operational launch of the Vera C. Rubin Telescope and the Near-Earth Object (NEO) survey telescope. We’ll identify these objects at an unprecedented rate. Some will possess highly uncertain initial trajectories that require extensive extrapolation, resulting in non-zero collision probabilities. It will take time to gather ample orbital data and assert where these objects will be decades into the future, fully ruling out any collision risks.
We may encounter objects that reach levels like 4 or 5 on the Turin scale, but the true threat level remains out of the ‘red zone.’ I doubt we’ll see such instances in anyone’s lifetime, or even our great-grandchildren’s. These events are incredibly rare. However, there are mechanisms for the public to recognize what to monitor and what to disregard.
As for lower scores on the Turin scale, they will become so routine that they will no longer garner public attention. People can trust astronomers to track interesting objects and ensure their eventual disappearance. The Turin Scale has fulfilled its purpose.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 reached a value of 3 on the Turin scale and then dropped to 0.
NASA/Magdalena Ridge 2.4m Telescope/NMT
Was the Torino system effective during the incident with asteroid 2024 YR4 reaching level 3?
My colleague articulated the message effectively, reiterating that as we collected more data, we anticipated the object would become less concerning. This was our constant reassurance. The descriptions of the categories on the Turin Scale offer insights valuable to astronomers. We were highly confident that further data would eliminate Earth impact possibilities.
The confusion among the media and the public stemmed from misunderstanding the impact probability, which was consistently low. (At its peak, 2024 YR4 had a 3.1 percent impact probability.) As more data came in, the probability fluctuated—this is a natural outcome based on expanding our understanding. Initially, we observed an asteroid over a short trajectory, but extrapolating that trajectory significantly into the future could sometimes indicate higher projections. This increase was more of an adjustment process than a sign of danger.
What can you tell us about Apophis? It’s a 340-meter asteroid expected to come remarkably close to Earth in 2029 but is projected to miss. What gives us such confidence?
When discussing Apophis, I provide three key reassurances: Apophis will safely pass Earth. Apophis will safely pass Earth. Apophis will safely pass Earth. The confidence stems from over two decades of precise tracking, including radar signals reflecting off the asteroid to pinpoint its position within a meter. The margin of uncertainty regarding its close pass is a mere plus or minus 3 kilometers.
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If we need to take action to mitigate an incoming asteroid, we possess the ability, provided we have sufficient time. “
Astronomers have been taking this object very seriously for the last 20 years. Initially, when it was discovered, it had a rating of 4 on the Turin scale, a unique occurrence for any object. However, it was only for a brief duration, maybe just a week, around Christmas 2004 when the asteroid attracted significant attention. I wanted to nickname it “The Grinch” since I was up late on Christmas Eve scrutinizing asteroid orbits until my family pulled me away.
NASA’s DART mission, which aimed to change an asteroid’s orbit, signifies a new chapter for planetary defense. How crucial was this mission?
DART represents a leap forward in our evolution as a species. No longer are we entirely at the mercy of the cosmos. DART illustrated our capacity to target and alter an object’s trajectory. This is a defining moment for humanity, asserting that if we need to counter an asteroid’s approach, we have the capabilities to do so—given we have the time.
Many still voice concerns about the threat of a giant asteroid potentially eradicating humanity. How has this perception evolved since your early involvement in the field?
We are making strides. It’s not an overwhelming concern; rather, it’s a manageable risk that we’ve come to better understand. Personally, after dedicating 50 years of my life as a scientist mostly funded by public resources, I feel a moral duty to advocate for the necessity of detecting serious asteroid threats, thereby fulfilling our responsibilities as scientists.
To illustrate, if we were unexpectedly surprised by an asteroid that we could have detected had we invested in telescopes a decade ago, it would signify a monumental oversight in scientific history. This is the primary frustration I harbor regarding asteroids: the idea that we haven’t fully done our jobs.
As Vera Rubin and the NEO surveyors become operational, it marks a significant advancement. We’re finally in a position to conduct thorough assessments and determine the potential threats posed by asteroids in the coming epochs. With our capacity to seek answers, it’s our responsibility to pursue them.
Astronomers have a limited timeframe to determine if they will intervene to stop asteroid 2024 YR4 from colliding with the moon in 2032. A brief observation period utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope is set to commence in February, as new findings indicate that the potential for impact is rising to over 30%, posing a significant threat to satellites and future lunar infrastructures.
Discovered late last year, 2024 YR4 quickly emerged as the most probable asteroid to strike Earth. The worst-case scenario initially estimated a collision probability of 1 in 32 for 2032. However, further observations have nearly eliminated the chance of an Earth impact, leaving a 4 percent possibility of a collision with the moon, which could endanger numerous vital satellites orbiting Earth due to debris.
Despite the considerable risk associated with this asteroid, space agencies have yet to take action, although NASA researchers are exploring potential deflection strategies, such as deploying a nuclear charge near the asteroid.
The asteroid has recently moved out of range for Earth’s telescopes, limiting astronomers’ ability to obtain further data on its orbit until it reappears in 2028, which may not allow enough time to execute a deflection mission.
Fortunately, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) anticipates a brief operational window to observe the asteroid in February 2026 and again in April 2024, offering a critical opportunity to plan a deflection mission. Andrew Rivkin from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland remarked, “By 2028, it will be in close proximity, so capturing data in early 2026 grants us additional time.”
This advantageous positioning will enable JWST to observe 2024 YR4, which follows a distinct orbit around Earth, undetectable by other ground-based telescopes, but the observation will still be challenging, as the asteroid is expected to be dim, even for JWST’s highly sensitive instruments. There will be two narrow windows for observation on February 18th and 26th.
Rivkin and his team computed how new data regarding the asteroid’s positions and velocities could alter the existing understanding based on these observations. Their findings indicate an 80% likelihood of reducing the probability of a lunar impact to under 1%, while there is a 5% chance that the risk could increase to 30% or higher. JWST should have a chance to repeat these observations in 2027, but this will provide less time for decision-making, according to Rivkin.
Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether space agencies would opt to plan missions in the event of increased risks. “The question of whether planetary defense extends to the moon is entirely new, and different agencies may have varied responses,” Rivkin noted. “If a company operates many satellites, they might advocate for a particular course of action.”
Richard Moisle from the European Space Agency indicated that while the current budget does not allocate for deflection or reconnaissance missions regarding the asteroid, they will reevaluate if next year’s observations indicate a heightened risk of collision. “We chose to delay our decision until next year to allow for a thorough evaluation of our options,” Moisle stated.
The NASA DART probe, depicted on the upper right, is on a trajectory to collide with the asteroid Dimorphos, shown on the left.
Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA/AP/ALAMY
Following the collision of NASA’s spacecraft with an asteroid, its orbit is expected to change gradually next month, leaving astronomers puzzled.
In 2022, the Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) sent a nearly 600-kilometer spacecraft towards a small asteroid known as Dimorphos.
Prior to the collision, Dimorphos completed an orbit every 11 hours and 55 minutes. Observations soon indicated that the impact shortened this orbital period by approximately 30 minutes, although in the following weeks and months, the orbital period diminished by an additional 30 seconds.
Astronomers have proposed that this phenomenon might be due to the release of small debris during the impact, which could gradually cause energy loss and result in a reduced orbital path.
Recently, Harrison Agrusa and Camille Chattanette from the University of Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, asserted that debris ejection cannot solely explain the observations.
“The boulders can be flung by Dimorphos, leading to a wider dispersion. This momentum will eventually revert and be transferred back to Dimorphos,” Agrusa explains.
Agrusa theorizes that a more plausible reason for Dimorphos’ shifting trajectory is that its impact affects its rotation in a complex manner, causing rocks on its surface to shift. The friction generated by these rocks could lead to heat production from their collisions. The resultant energy loss as heat might clarify the decrease in the asteroid’s orbital path, although this study has not modeled that aspect.
“When you rearrange materials on a surface, you’re altering the gravitational potential energy of Dimorphos itself,” Agrusa states. “This adjustment could feasibly slow down the orbital period within a month, as this would be a prolonged process.”
This highlights the challenges in predicting how asteroid orbits will alter post-impact, yet according to Agrusa, this phenomenon is less concerning when deflecting an asteroid heading towards Earth. This is because binary asteroid systems like Didymos and Dimorphos are quite uncommon, making it unlikely that similar effects will occur for a solitary asteroid orbiting the Sun.
What action should humanity take if an asteroid is heading toward the moon? Why not attempt to divert these celestial bodies before they collide? Should we neutralize it with a nuclear explosion?
These queries are examined in a recent paper authored by more than a dozen researchers, including NASA scientists. These scenarios aren’t merely theoretical: the asteroid known as 2024 YR4 is estimated to have a 4% chance of impacting the moon in 2032.
Such collisions could “spike levels of background radiation up to 1,000 times higher in just a few days, posing threats to astronauts and spacecraft in low-Earth orbit,” the researchers noted in their paper. The preprint on arXiv was published on September 15th but has yet to undergo peer review.
To prevent a potentially hazardous debris field, one approach is to use nuclear energy to neutralize the asteroid or, as scientists term it, create a “robust mess” before it reaches the moon.
Cue references from the “Armageddon” movie.
However, this approach carries significant risks, as it has never been tested for asteroid destruction using nuclear forces.
Crucial information about asteroid 2024 YR4 remains unknown, including its mass, which is vital for determining the most effective way to “destroy” it without unintentionally creating greater problems.
“If an explosion isn’t sufficient, just create a debris field anyway,” remarked Julie Brissett, interim director of the Florida Space Institute.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first identified in December by Chile’s Asteroid Land Impact Trajectory Store Alt System Station. NASA estimates it could be up to 220 feet in diameter, large enough to be categorized as a “city killer,” since it could severely damage an urban area or region on Earth.
Experts initially estimated a slim chance of asteroids hitting Earth, with an impact probability of 3% predicted earlier this year. However, subsequent analyses ruled out collisions with our planet.
Given that Earth appears to be safe, asteroid 2024 YR4 is considered to have an estimated 4.3% chance of impacting the moon.
The authors of a recent paper suggested launching a reconnaissance mission to study the asteroid and then developing an explosive device before deploying it for a space lock.
Alternatively, if a nuclear detonation is deemed too extreme for destruction, researchers will provide detailed strategies for steering the asteroid off course.
NASA has relevant experience; in 2022, its DART probe successfully altered its orbit by crashing into a small asteroid called Dimorphos. This test occurred 6.8 million miles from Earth, successfully redirecting Dimorphos and reducing its orbital period by 33 minutes, according to NASA.
However, for deflection efforts to succeed, Brissett noted that it’s crucial to ascertain the mass of asteroid 2024 YR4.
In response to an NBC News inquiry regarding NASA’s recent paper, Kelly Fast, the agency’s Planetary Defense Officer, stated that there are currently no plans to deflect the asteroid or intervene in its course.
Nevertheless, she indicated that a study is planned for early next year using the James Webb Space Telescope, aiming to yield insights into its trajectory.
“If we observe it, additional data could enhance our understanding of the asteroid’s position in December 2032,” Fast mentioned, “possibly reducing the impact probability to 0%.”
Even if missions, such as those discussed in the paper, can be executed, there are political dynamics to consider.
Currently, no astronauts or long-term habitats exist on the moon, though this may change. China, for instance, intends to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and has discussed establishing a nuclear power plant there to support lunar bases in partnership with Russia.
The U.S. plans to conduct regular missions to the moon before NASA eventually targets Mars, but future missions and objectives remain uncertain due to notable budget cuts exceeding $6 billion in the NASA budget plan proposed by President Trump.
The use of nuclear devices in space could escalate tensions among the U.S., China, and other space-faring nations, potentially leading to disputes over which countries and agencies would spearhead or contribute to such projects, noted Brissett.
“It’s likely a country with the technical capability to do that,” she said, “narrowing it down to three or four, but the question remains: do they want to collaborate?”
This water flow took place on ancient asteroids over a billion years after their formation, likely due to the heat generated by melting ice, which caused rock fractures that facilitated water movement. JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 Spacecraft.
This image of the asteroid was taken on June 26, 2018, by JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 Spacecraft optical navigation camera – telescopic (ONC-T). Image credits: JAXA / University of Tokyo / Kochi University / Ricchiho University / Nagoya University / Chiba University of Technology / Nishimura University / Aizu University / AIST.
Ryugu is a CG-type asteroid close to Earth and part of the Polana family of impact asteroids.
The diamond-shaped body, also known as 1999 JU3, was identified by astronomers in May 1999 during asteroid studies near Lincoln.
Its diameter measures about 900 m (0.56 miles), and it orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.96-1.41 Astronomical Units (AU) every 474 days.
“We have a relatively good understanding of how the solar system was formed, though many gaps remain,” said Shiyoshijima, a researcher at the University of Tokyo.
“One gap in our knowledge is how Earth acquired its water.”
“It has long been known that carbonaceous asteroids, originating from ice and dust in the outer solar system, have contributed water to Earth.”
“We discovered that Ryugu preserves an unaltered record of water activity, indicating that liquid water moved through the rock much later than previously anticipated,” added Dr. Ikemoto.
“This shifts our understanding of the long-term fate of water on asteroids. The water has remained for an extended period and hasn’t been depleted as quickly as we thought.”
In this study, the authors examined the isotopes of lutetium (Lu) and hafnium (HF), with the radioactive decay from lutetium-176 to hafnium-176 serving as a sort of clock to gauge geological processes.
The expected presence of these isotopes in the studied sample was hypothesized to correlate with the asteroid’s age in a predictable manner.
However, the ratio of Hafnium-176 to Lutetium-176 was significantly unexpected.
This strongly suggests to researchers that the liquid effectively washed away lutetium from the rocks containing it.
“We anticipated that Ryugu’s chemical signatures would align with certain meteorites currently under examination on Earth,” Dr. Iizuka stated.
“However, the results were strikingly different, necessitating the careful elimination of other possible explanations, ultimately concluding that the Lu-HF system was hindered by a delayed liquid flow.”
“The most probable triggers involved the parent body of Ryugu’s larger asteroid, which disrupted the rocks, melting the embedded ice and allowing liquid water to permeate the body.”
“It was truly surprising! This impact event could be the catalyst for the parent body disruption.”
One of the crucial implications is that carbon-rich asteroids may be a significant source of water for Earth, supplying far more than previously estimated.
Ryugu’s parent body seems to have retained ice for over a billion years. This suggests that similar bodies impacting the young Earth could have delivered 2-3 times more water than standard models predict, significantly influencing the planet’s early oceans and atmosphere.
“The notion that a Ryugu-like object has preserved ice for such an extended time is remarkable,” Dr. Ikemoto remarked.
“It implies that Earth’s components were far wetter than we had imagined.”
“This prompts a reevaluation of the initial conditions for the planetary water system.”
“It’s still early to draw definitive conclusions, but my team and others may build on this research to clarify various aspects, including how our planet became habitable.”
The findings will be published in the journal Nature.
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T. Iizuka et al. Late fluid flow of primitive asteroids revealed by Lu-HF isotopes of Lu. Nature. Published online on September 10th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09483-0
Tektite forms almost pure glass (with minimal crystalline inclusions) when space debris impacts the Earth, causing surface materials to melt and be ejected hundreds or thousands of kilometers away.
Map of Ananguite strown field based on Tektite location. Image credit: Musolino et al. , doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119600.
“Tektite is a specific type of glass formed by impacts, recognized particularly for its distribution across extensive spray fields far from the source crater,” stated Professor Fred Jordan from Curtin University and his team.
“The widespread distribution in Central Europe (14 million years ago), North America (35 million years ago), the Ivory Coast (1 million years ago), and from China to Australia (780,000 years ago) has been traced back to the spread originating from Central Europe, known for four distinct scattered fields located in Central America (800,000 years ago).
“The corresponding tektites include Moldavites, Bediasite-Georgiaite, Ivorites, Australiasites, and Belizites, respectively.”
A newly identified type of Tektite, called Ananguite, has been found primarily in South Australia.
“Discovering a new Tektite field is akin to opening a new chapter in Earth’s tumultuous geological history,” remarked Professor Jourdan.
“These glasses are indigenous to Australia and reveal ancient impact events previously unknown to us.”
“Each piece acts as a small time capsule from the depths of our planet’s history.”
“What adds intrigue to these findings is that, despite the considerable impact, the crater has yet to be located.”
“Understanding when and how frequently large asteroids strike Earth can also assist in evaluating the risk of future impacts, which is vital for planetary defense.”
Photos of six Tektites studied by Musolino et al. Scale bar – 2 mm. Image credit: Musolino et al. , doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119600.
“The glasses differ from all previously known tektites,” noted PhD candidate Annam Solino from AIX-Marseille University.
“These tektites are distinct due to their unusual chemistry and an approximate age of 11 million years.”
“They indicate a shock event that is completely separate from the fields associated with well-known Australian tektites.”
“While Australian tektites formed roughly 780,000 years ago and have spread across the globe, these tektites are significantly older and suggest major impacts that were previously overlooked.”
The team’s research paper was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
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Anna Musolino et al. 2025. Australia’s new tektite spray field dates back 11 million years, originating from a volcanic arc impact crater. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 670:119600; doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119600
A rare asteroid explosion occurred in France two years ago, raising alarms regarding the planet’s defense against certain rocky bodies.
On February 13, 2023, a small asteroid named 2023 CX1 entered Earth’s atmosphere, creating a streak across the Normandy sky. This event marked one of the rare instances of meteors monitored before atmospheric entry, happening approximately 7 hours ago.
Bright fireballs resulted from the event, with multiple meteorites collected from the ground. Only two asteroids were monitored, and debris was recovered from their descent. The second one was located in Germany in 2024.
Analysis of footage capturing the asteroid’s descent by Aurian Egal from Western University of Ontario and her team revealed remarkable findings. While most asteroids disintegrate upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, the 2023 CX1 maintained its integrity almost entirely until it reached an altitude of 28 km, where it exploded with an energy equivalent to about 0.029 kilotons, resembling 29 tons of TNT.
“It resembled a bomb,” Egal noted, emphasizing that it was “a singular blast that generated a single spherical shockwave, rather than numerous explosions throughout its course.”
At just 72 centimeters, asteroid 2023 CX1 is roughly the size of a beach ball, which posed no significant threat to the ground. However, should a larger asteroid explode in a similar fashion, the potential for damage could be greater compared to one that disintegrates more gradually in the atmosphere.
In 2020, the Novomest Meteor in Slovenia lost around 80% of its mass due to a singular explosion.
This type of fragmentation poses an even greater threat,” Egal warned. “If a larger asteroid exhibits similar behavior, the consequences could be severe. Evacuations may be necessary for extensive areas surrounding the predicted impact site.”
Meteorite fragments of asteroid 2023 CX1 discovered in February 2023 near Dieppe, Normandy, northwest France
Lou Benoist/AFP via Getty Images
The exact reason for the asteroid’s survival at such lower altitudes in the atmosphere remains somewhat enigmatic but may pertain to its origin. 2023 CX1 belongs to the L-chondrite category, likely formed from a precursor body in the inner asteroid belt known as Massalia and contributing to approximately one-third of Earth’s rock samples.
“We observe multiple impact veins within the meteorite,” remarked the eyewitness, highlighting its significant collision history.
This implies that vigilance is imperative for monitoring similar L-chondrite asteroids, especially larger ones, according to Thomas Burbin from Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts. “Given that this type of meteorite is quite prevalent, it raises considerable concern,” he elaborated. “L-chondrites can inflict more damage than one might anticipate.”
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A collision with an asteroid in an incorrect spot can increase the likelihood of it hitting Earth unintentionally.
Bladaki/Shutterstock
If an asteroid were on a collision course with Earth, is it possible to alter its trajectory without worsening the predicament? Indeed, thanks to a new system designed to identify the optimal strike point on incoming asteroids.
Diverting an Earth-bound asteroid is a high-stakes operation, and we have little practical experience with it. In 2023, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) demonstrated for the first time that it’s possible to divert asteroids by impacting them with spacecraft.
However, engaging in such missions carries risks. Altering an asteroid’s orbit can push it through a narrow window, known as a gravity keyhole, where the gravitational pull from a larger body like Earth may alter its trajectory enough to eventually cause a collision with our planet.
Now, Rahir Macadia from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his team have devised a system to determine the best impact sites for satellites to reduce this risk. By analyzing data from the DART mission along with the asteroid’s shape, mass, and rotation speed, they were able to project how different impact points would alter the asteroid’s trajectory. This leads to the creation of a probability map for the asteroid’s surface, identifying various locations with differing chances of pushing the asteroid through a gravity keyhole, allowing scientists to select those with lower probabilities for a strike.
“It’s feasible to map these keyholes to asteroids, and the only cost involved is computational power before the mission is launched. So, on September 9th, during the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in Helsinki, Finland, we should be able to pinpoint the optimum targeting point on the asteroid’s surface for a kinetic impact.
Macadia and his team have tested this approach on the asteroid Bennu, discovering over 2,000 potential keyhole locations and identifying safe spots for a spacecraft to impact.
While gathering specific data on a single asteroid is optimal with bespoke probes designed for the task, it might not always be practical if the asteroid is located close to Earth at the time of its detection. However, Macadia asserts that a rough analysis should still be achievable using data from terrestrial telescopes.
Artistic renderings of NASA’s double asteroid redirection test mission
NASA/JOHNS HOPKINS APL/JOSHUA DIAZ
A practical trial for collecting this data will occur when asteroid Apophis passes close to Earth in 2029. Astronomers have determined there is no risk posed by this 450-meter-long asteroid, but close encounters are considered rare, occurring only once every 7,500 years.
“We’ve observed many asteroids, but never one subjected to the kind of stress and natural vibrations due to Earth’s gravity.” Richard Binzel remarked at the EPSC on September 8th, representing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Nobody knows how NASA’s Osiris Apex spacecraft, which initially visited asteroid Bennu, will fare when redirected to study Apophis in proximity to Earth’s passing European Space Agency’s Ramses spacecraft.
Apart from orbiting asteroids at safe distances to gather crucial details about their composition and shape, astronomers aim to monitor the small kilogram-scale spacecraft on the surface, including long-anticipated seismic activity when it’s near a massive body like Earth, to investigate internal conditions.
According to Binzel, understanding these characteristics is vital for asteroids that may pose future threats to Earth. “If you’re addressing an actual asteroid hazard posed by Apophis or other similar objects, you’ll need to be well-informed about characteristics such as angular momentum and tumbling behavior of the asteroid.”
Paolo Martino, the project manager for the mission, indicated that the trajectory of Apophis is excellently mapped, eliminating the danger of deviation since the Ramses spacecraft is equipped with sensors that enable it to autonomously avoid collisions, and its low mass means any impact would minimally affect Apophis.
A significant amount of water once cascaded along the surface of an asteroid, indicating that asteroids may have delivered more water to Earth than previously believed.
The source of Earth’s water remains somewhat enigmatic. Although incoming asteroids are considered potential contributors, skepticism exists regarding their ability to supply the vast quantities of water present on Earth today.
Carbonate asteroids develop from dust and ice in the outer solar system. In 2019, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft landed on Ryugu and collected 5.4 grams of material, returning it to Earth in 2020.
Initial images of Ryugu suggested it was drier than anticipated, but further studies revealed the presence of cracks once filled with vital elements, including water.
Early dating of the samples indicated that the asteroid was among the oldest celestial objects, originating around 460 million years ago.
However, when Tsuyoshi Itsuka from the University of Tokyo and his team assessed its age using the radioactive decay of lutetium-176 in tiny asteroid samples, they found something intriguing.
“Our analysis estimates the age of the Ryugu sample at about 4.8 billion years, significantly predating the solar system,” notes Ikemoto. “This indicates the timing of Ryugu’s sample collection is critical.”
Instead, the researchers believe that roughly a billion years after its parent body was formed, Ryugu was warmed enough to convert ice into water, which in turn removed some lutetium-176, complicating dating techniques.
Solar radiation warms only the surface ice to about 40 centimeters, while the Ryugu samples were extracted from much deeper layers. Researchers suggest that collisions with other celestial objects may explain how the interior of the parent body was heated.
By estimating the volume of water required to alter the lutetium-176 levels in the Ryugu samples, the team concluded that the asteroid consists of roughly 20-30% water.
Ikemoto asserts that asteroids are believed to have delivered water to Earth in mineral form. “Our findings imply that they can actually provide water as both minerals and ice,” he adds.
The research highlights the value of sample-return missions, according to Jonti Horner from the University of South Queensland, who was not involved in this study. “By retrieving samples directly, we eliminate Earth’s interference, enhancing the validity of our findings,” Horner explains.
“This suggests that these bodies were wetter than previously thought, allowing us to better understand the origins of Earth’s oceans as we analyze early planetary formation,” he concludes.
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The initial bodies that formed in the solar system gathered materials from stars, presolar molecular clouds, and protozoan debris. Asteroids that have not experienced planetary differentiation retain evidence of these significant materials. Nevertheless, geological processes such as hydrothermal changes can significantly modify their composition and chemistry. In a recent study, researchers scrutinized the elemental and isotopic composition of samples from the asteroid Bennu, uncovering the origin and nature of the materials associated with its parent body.
This mosaic image of the asteroid Bennu consists of 12 images collected on December 2, 2018 by a 15-mile (24 km) Polycam instrument at Osiris-Rex. Image credit: NASA/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona.
“Our analysis shows that Bennu’s elemental composition closely resembles that of the sun,” stated LLNL scientist Greg Brennecka.
“This indicates that the materials obtained from Bennu provide a valuable reference to the initial arrangement of the entire solar system.”
“Notably, Bennu has remained largely untouched by intense heat, which would alter some of its original ingredients.”
Researchers continue to investigate how planets form, and determining the initial composition of the solar system is akin to gathering a recipe for a cake.
“With that recipe, we gain insight into how all these elements interacted to create the solar system and, ultimately, the Earth and its living beings,” Dr. Brennecca remarked.
“If we aim to understand our origins, the composition of our solar system serves as a fundamental starting point.”
Outer view of the Osiris-Rex sample collector. Sample material for the asteroid can be seen in the center right. Image credits: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld/Joseph Aebersold.
The Osiris-Rex mission by NASA has introduced new possibilities by returning pristine samples to Earth while avoiding contamination from our planet.
LLNL scientist Quinn Shollenberger commented:
“We cannot tackle the significant question of ‘origins’ without a sample on Earth.”
“One of our objectives is to ascertain which elements of the periodic table and their percentages contributed to the solar system’s inception. Bennu can help us uncover this,” noted LLNL scientist Jan Render.
To achieve these findings, researchers ground the asteroid material into fine powders and dissolved them in acid.
This mixture was then analyzed with a series of mass spectrometers to determine the concentrations of most elements within the periodic table.
From these results, scientists have sorted the samples by elements and successfully analyzed the isotopic ratios of several.
“I work at a National Laboratory that boasts remarkable analytical capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment,” shared LLNL scientist Josh Winpenny.
“It is quite rare to have all these functions consolidated in one place, allowing us to make optimal use of these valuable materials.”
“NASA’s Johnson Space Center researcher Dr. Anne Nuguen stated:
“We discovered stardust grains with compositions predating our solar system, organic materials likely formed in interstellar space, and high-temperature minerals that originated close to the sun.”
“All these components were transported over to the region that formed Bennu’s precursor asteroids.”
Survey results published in the journal Natural Astronomy.
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JJ Burns et al. Diversity and origin of materials accumulated by Bennu’s pro-asteroids. Nat Astron Published online on August 22, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02631-6
NASA’s Lucy Mission is actively examining images obtained during its encounter with the carbonaceous asteroid Donald Johansson on April 20, 2025.
Donald Johanson is located on NASA’s Lucy spacecraft, approximately 2,700 km (1,700 miles) away, about 3.2 minutes before closest approach on April 20, 2025. The lighting conditions, which are primarily behind Lucy, significantly diminish the visibility of topographic features. Image credit: NASA/GODDARD/SWRI/JOHNS HOPKINS APL.
Donald Johansson resides in the inner region of the solar system’s major asteroid belt.
The asteroid was initially discovered on March 2, 1981, by American astronomer Sheltebus at the Siding Spring Observatory.
On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft executed a flyby near Donald Johansson, approaching within 960 km (600 miles) of its surface.
This encounter confirmed that the asteroid is an elongated contact binary, a structure that forms when two small celestial bodies collide.
Nonetheless, members of the Lucy team were taken aback by the unusual shape of the narrow neck connecting the two lobes.
A pair of stereo images combining the final full approach image (right) with slightly clipped images taken 72 seconds later. For a three-dimensional view of the asteroid’s structure, cross your eyes while focusing on the image. Image credits: NASA/GODDARD/SWRI/JOHNS HOPKINS APL/BRIAN MAY/CLAUDIA MANZONI.
“The newly released image was captured by the L’Lorri Imager on the spacecraft just minutes before the closest approach,” the researchers stated.
“This successful dress rehearsal assures the team that both the spacecraft and our crew are well-prepared for the main event: an encounter with a Jupiter Trojan asteroid.”
“Currently, the spacecraft is in a relatively quiet cruising phase as it journeys through the main asteroid belt.”
“Lucy is traveling at over 50,000 km/h (30,000 mph) away from the Sun.”
“We will continue to monitor the spacecraft as it heads toward the cooler, dimmer regions of the solar system.”
“Upon reaching the Trojan asteroid, the mission plans to conduct four encounters and observe at least six asteroids (including two satellites discovered by our team) over the course of 15 months.”
“The first encounter is scheduled with the asteroid Euribates in August 2027.”
Yellow spotted tropical night lizard (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum)
Dante Fenolio/Science Photo Library
A unique and elusive group of lizards remains today, recognized as the only terrestrial vertebrates to withstand the catastrophic Chicxulub asteroid impact, which likely resulted in the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.
The Xantusiid Night lizard is known as an ancient lineage, surviving for tens of millions of years. However, Chase Brownstein from Yale University and his team proposed that this lineage might have originated earlier than previously estimated.
The end of the Cretaceous period was marked by a colossal asteroid strike near the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, creating craters wider than 150 kilometers and leading to the extinction of most animal and plant species globally.
Today, the night lizard—despite its name, not actually nocturnal—continues to inhabit Cuba, Central America, and the southwest region of the United States.
Brownstein and his researchers utilized previously published DNA sequencing data from Xantusiids to construct evolutionary trees for these groups. They integrated findings from skeletal anatomy of current species and fossil records, allowing them to estimate the lineage’s age and the quantity of offspring produced by the ancestral night lizard.
The team identified a shared ancestor that lived deep within the Cretaceous period, dating back over 93 million years, likely producing only one or two clutches of offspring.
“It’s highly probable that these ancient populations were situated close to the impact site, much like their modern counterparts,” remarks Brownstein. “It’s as though the distribution of Xantusiid lizards encircles the impact zones.”
According to fossil records, Brownstein argues that it is improbable for ancient night lizards to have simply returned to the affected areas later.
“Our reconstructions suggest that the common ancestors of living species most likely originated in North America, as the fossil evidence of Xantusiids is relatively continuous on both sides of the boundary layer,” he adds.
Numerous night lizard species inhabit rock crevices and possess a slow metabolism akin to other survivors of mass extinction, like turtles and crocodiles. “This likely enabled them to endure the aftermath of the impact,” states Brownstein.
Nathan Law from the University of Sydney expresses amazement at their survival. “These lizards resided near the asteroid’s impact site; despite the asteroid’s devastating effects within hundreds of kilometers, they managed to survive.”
Remarkably, they achieved this despite lacking many common characteristics typically associated with mass extinction survivors. “Species that endure these extinction events tend to be small, reproduce rapidly, and have extensive geographical ranges,” explains Law. “Conversely, these lizards generally have slower reproduction rates and appear to cover a minimal range.”
Asteroid 2024 YR4 may create the largest lunar impact in the past 5,000 years
Mark Garlic/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
Originally believed to be on a collision path with Earth, asteroid 2024 YR4 still poses some level of threat to our planet. There remains a chance that such celestial bodies could impact the moon, potentially resulting in a catastrophic explosion that could flood Earth with debris capable of damaging satellites.
Astronomers have been monitoring this building-sized asteroid since its detection in December 2024. Initial forecasts heightened the risk of a collision with Earth in 2032, suggesting the impact could unleash enough energy to obliterate a city; fortunately, it now appears 2024 YR4 will likely miss us.
Nonetheless, the likelihood of a lunar impact is gradually increasing, currently estimated at 4.3% based on observations made before the asteroid moved out of our telescopes’ view until 2028. Paul Wiegelt from the University of Western Ontario and his team suggest that such a collision could inflict significant damage on Earth’s satellites.
“We were somewhat taken aback by the amount of debris that could potentially reach Earth,” Wiegert remarked. “In reality, Earth is a surprisingly small target from the moon’s vantage point. Thus, while impacts on Earth are infrequent, gravitational forces can draw in that material under certain conditions.”
Wiegert and his colleagues calculated that 2024 YR4 could create a crater over a kilometer wide on the moon, marking the largest lunar impact in at least the last 5,000 years, albeit still small compared to typical craters. By ejecting debris into space and simulating their trajectories tens of thousands of times, they concluded that this event could lead to collision rates for Earth’s satellites comparable to those observed over years or even days.
While these collisions may not entirely disable a satellite, they could cause significant anomalies due to electrical disruptions. Accurately modeling their potential damage proves challenging, Wiegert noted.
If luck is not on our side, the impact of fragmented materials could be particularly severe, according to Mark Burchell at the University of Kent in the UK. “If they impact a spacecraft’s coolant pipe or an exposed sensor, the loss of critical functions occurs suddenly,” he explained. “Once damaged, satellites cannot be repaired. Even minor issues can lead to serious problems.”
Wiegert emphasized that this scenario should provoke global space agencies to consider deflecting asteroids on a collision course with the moon, similar to efforts aimed at protecting Earth. A NASA Planetary Defense Coordination Agency representative stated that while it is crucial to identify Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) posing potential risks, it is “premature to speculate on possible response options” for a potential 2024 collision.
Depending on how events unfold, swift action could be necessary. When 2024 YR4 reappears in Earth’s telescopic view in 2028, we should be able to refine the precision of its orbital path, Wiegert commented. As chances for a lunar impact rise, it offers a four-year window for decision-making on any necessary actions.
The asteroid called Donald Johansson was captured by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during a flyby on April 20, 2025. On the closest approach, the spacecraft was at a distance of 960 km (600 miles).
Donald Johansson is a carbonaceous asteroid located in the inner region of the main asteroid belt.
It was discovered by American astronomer Shertebas at the Siding Spring Observatory on March 2, 1981.
Donald Johansson had previously observed a large brightness variation over a 10-day period, so some of the expectations of members of the Lucy team were confirmed when the first image showed what appeared to be an elongated contact binary.
However, researchers were surprised by the strange shape of the narrow neck that connects the two leaves.
“The asteroid Donald Johansson has an incredibly complex geology,” says Dr. Hallevison, principal investigator at Lucy, a researcher at the Southwest Research Institute.
“A detailed study of complex structures reveals important information about the building blocks and collision processes that formed planets in the solar system.”
This image of the asteroid Donald Johansson was taken by Lucy Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (l’lorri) by the closest approach from a 1,100 km (660 miles) range. Image credits: NASA/GODDARD/SWRI/JOHNS HOPKINS APL/NOIRLAB.
From a preliminary analysis of the first available images collected by the spacecraft L’Lorri Imager, Donaldjohanson appears to be larger than originally estimated.
“In this first set of high-resolution images returned from the spacecraft, we cannot see a perfect asteroid because the asteroid is larger than the imager’s field of view,” the scientists explained.
“It takes up to a week for the team to downlink the rest of the encounter data from the spacecraft. This dataset provides a more complete image of the overall shape of the asteroid.”
“The NASA Headquarters researcher, Dr. Tom Staller, a scientist with the Lucy Program,” said:
“When Lucy reaches the Trojan asteroid, the chances that she may truly open a new window into the history of our solar system are immeasurable.”
Lucy’s first asteroid flyby target, Dinkinesch and Donald Johansson, are not the main science targets of the mission.
As planned, Dinkinesh Flyby was testing the mission’s system, but the encounter was a full dress rehearsal, with the team conducting a series of close observations to maximize data collection.
Data collected by Lucy’s other scientific instruments, the L’Ralph Color Imager and infrared spectrometers and L’TES thermal infrared spectrometers, will be acquired and analyzed over the next few weeks.
Lucy spacecraft will spend most of the rest of 2025 traveling through the main asteroid belt.
Lucy will encounter the mission’s first major target, the Jupiter Trojan Novel, in August 2027.
That’s probably The second asteroid encounter It was released for Lucy in 2021 as Quest to turn 11 Space Lock. A close approach should help scientists better understand the early solar system when planets are forming. The asteroid is Ancient leftovers.
The upcoming flyby is a 2027 dress rehearsal in which Lucy reached the first so-called Trojan asteroid near Jupiter.
Sunday’s spacecraft, making three scientific instruments, observes a harmless asteroid known as Donald Johansson. The encounter takes place 139 million miles (223 million kilometers) from Earth, the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
A paleontologist named Lockheed Martin, the asteroid, the architect and operator of the spacecraft, is in mission control for all actions. He discovered Ethiopian fossil Lucy 50 years ago. The spaceship is named after a famous human ancestor.
NASA’s Lucy approaches 596 miles (960 kilometers) to this asteroid, an estimated 2½ miles (4 kilometers), but much shorter in width. Scientists should consider their size and shape better after a short visit. The spacecraft zooms at over 30,000 mph (48,000 kph).
The asteroid is one of countless fragments believed to have arisen from a massive collision 150 million years ago.
“It’s not going to be a basic potato. We already know that,” said Hal Levison, chief scientist at the South West Research Institute.
Rather, Levison said the asteroid could resemble bowling pins and snowmen like Arocos, the Kuiper Belt object that NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft visits in 2019. Another possibility is that two elongated but separate asteroids are far apart.
“We don’t know what to expect, and that’s what makes this so cool,” he said.
There is no communication with Lucy during the flyby as the spacecraft is keeping its antenna away from Earth to track the asteroid. Levison expects to have most of the scientific data within a day.
Lucy’s next stop, “Main Event,” is a Trojan asteroid that, as Levison calls it, shares Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. A herd of Trojans preceded the largest planet in the solar system, circles the sun. Lucy visited eight people from 2027 to 2033, some of which will be paired with two.
Lucy’s first asteroid flyby came in 2023 as she passed Little Dinkinesh, located in the main asteroid belt. The spaceship discovered a mini-moon around it.
Astronomers using Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) A telescope in southern Gemini determined that the recently discovered nearby asteroid 2024 YR4 is one of the largest objects in recent history that could affect the moon, and is likely to originate from the major asteroid belt in the solar system. Their Survey results It will be published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.
This image from the 2024 YR4 was captured at Gemini Southeres Scope in Chile, half of the International Gemini Observatory run by Noallab. Image credits: International Gemini Observatory / Noirlab / NSF / Aura / M. Zamani.
The 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27, 2024 by the Asteroid’s Ground Impact Last Altar System (ATLAS).
At the time, the asteroids had a close approach to Earth, passing a distance of just 0.017 Au (astronomy unit).
In January 2025, a month after its discovery, the 2024 YR4 exceeded the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAND) notification threshold, which was predicted on December 22, 2032, with a 1% chance of future impact on Earth.
The asteroid misses Earth during this encounter, but there is still a few percent remaining chance that it could hit the moon instead.
Now interested in characterizing famous asteroids, Eureka scientific Athleton Mar Bryce Borin A colleague used a Gemini Southeres scope to capture images of the 2024 YR4 at several different wavelengths.
A detailed analysis of the asteroid LightCurve allowed the team to determine its composition, orbital properties and 3D shape.
“Our observation with Gemini South provided an important part of the puzzle in determining the characteristics of the 2024 YR4,” Dr. Bolin said.
“Studying this asteroid could be an Earth impactor and was crucial in understanding the poorly understood Earth Cross population.”
Information collected from the light curve indicates that the 2024 YR4 is likely an S-type asteroid. In other words, it has a silicate-rich composition.
The reflective pattern suggests a diameter of approximately 30-65 m (98-213 feet), making it one of the largest objects in recent history and affects the moon.
It is unlikely, but if it affects the moon, the asteroid would provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the relationship between the size of the asteroid and the size of the resulting impact crater – an amount previously unknown.
Analysis also revealed that the asteroid’s rotation period is about once every 20 minutes, and is shaped like a rare hockey puck.
“The discovery was pretty unexpected as most asteroids are thought to be shaped like potatoes and toy tops rather than flat disks,” Dr. Bolin said.
Based on these orbital characteristics, astronomers determined that the 2024 YR4 is most likely to originate from the main asteroid belt, and that gravity interaction with Jupiter is likely to cause it to be disrupted by its current short-range orbit.
Its retrograde spin direction suggests that it may have moved inward from the central main belt region, adding to its understanding of how small asteroids evolve and reach orbits beyond Earth.
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Bryce T. Borin et al. 2025. Discovery and characterization of the Asteroid 2024 YR4, which crosses the Earth. apjlin press; arxiv: 2503.05694v2
The destructive forces of shocking asteroids are estimated primarily by knowledge of their size. Near Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 reached a peak 2032 impact probability on Earth at 3%, motivated the desire to determine its size. Due to its infrared capabilities, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webbspace Telescope is uniquely suited to such evaluations. Johns Hopkins University astronomer Andrew Livkin and his colleagues used two Webb instruments to measure the diameter for 2024.
These web images show asteroid 2024 YR4 near Earth. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI/A. RIVKIN, JHU/APL.
2024 yr4 On December 27, 2024, the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact of Río Hurtado was discovered by the Last Alert System (Atlas) station.
The asteroid took a close approach to Earth at a distance of 828,800 km (515,000 miles) two days before its discovery.
Initial observations from the 2024 YR4 showed that the diameter was 40-90 m (131-295 ft).
Dr. Eric McLennan, an astronomer at the University of Helsinki, said:
“However, thermal radiation at infrared wavelengths is a direct indicator of size.”
Nircam data reflects light, while Miri’s observations show heat light.
“The observations were taken to study the thermal properties of the 2024 YR4, including how quickly it heats and cools at the current distance from the sun, and how hot the heat is,” the astronomer said.
“These measurements show that this asteroid does not share the properties observed on the larger asteroid.”
“This could be a combination of its fast spin and a lack of fine sand on its surface.”
“More research is needed, but this is thought to coincide with surfaces dominated by rocks that are roughly below the size of a fist.”
New Webb observations show that the asteroid measures approximately 60 m (197 feet).
“The 2024 YR4 has been the smallest object that Webb has ever targeted and is one of the smallest objects that directly measure its size,” the researchers said.
“New observations from Webb provide unique information about the size of the YR4 in 2024, as well as complement the ground-based observations of the object’s location to improve understanding of the object’s trajectory and future trajectory.”
Team’s Survey results It was published in AAS research notes.
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As Livin et al. 2025. JWST observation of potentially dangerous asteroid 2024 YR4. res. Note AAS 9, 70; doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ADC6F0
Astronomers from SETI Institute, NASA’s Ames Research Center, and Curtin University have tracked the impact orbits of 75 observed metstone waterfalls to previously unidentified source regions of several of the main asteroid belt.
Impressions of an artist on a rocky asteroid. Image credits: Mark A. Garlick, Space-Art.co.uk / Warwick University / Cambridge University.
“This is a 10-year detective story, with each recorded metstone waterfall providing new clues,” said Dr. Peter Jenniskens, an astronomer at Seti Institute and NASA’s Ames Research Center.
“We currently have the first overview of the asteroid belt geological map.”
Ten years ago, Dr. Jenniskens and his colleagues were aiming to build a network of all ski cameras in California and Nevada.
“Others built similar networks that spanned the world, and together formed a fireball observatory around the world,” said Hadrian Devillepova, an astronomer at Curtin University.
“For many years, we have tracked the routes of 17 recovered metstone waterfalls.”
“More fireballs have been tracked by doorbells and dashcam video cameras from citizen scientists and other dedicated networks around the world.”
“Overall, this quest produced 75 laboratory classified metstones with impact trajectories tracked by video cameras and photo cameras,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.
“It has proven sufficient to start seeing some patterns in the direction of metstones approaching the Earth.”
Most metstones come from the asteroid belt, the region between Mars and Jupiter.
These rocks come from a few larger asteroids that have been broken in the collision.
Even today, asteroids collide and create remnant fields within these asteroid families known as clusters.
“We can see that the 12 metstones (h-cartilage) of ordinary chondrites, which are now rich in iron, come from a debris field called low colonies on the pristine main belt,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.
“These metstones arrived from low-coupled orbital periods that match this debris field.”
“By measuring the age of cosmic ray exposure in metstones, we can determine that three of these 12 metstones originate from kalin clasters of dynamic ages of 5.8 million years, and two come from Koronis2 clusters of dynamic ages of 100-15 million years.”
“Another metstone can measure the age of Koronis3 clusters, about 83 million years.”
The authors also discovered a group of H-chondrites on steep orbits that appear to originate from the Nere Asteroididae in the central main belt, with a dynamic age of approximately 6 million years.
The mean motion resonance with nearby 3:1 Jupiter can raise the slope to the observed people.
A third group of H cartilage with an exposure age of approximately 35 million years of age emerged from the medial main belt.
“In our opinion, these H-cartilages came from the low masalia asteroids on the inner main belt, as their families have clusters of that same dynamic era,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.
“Asteroid (20) Masalia, the asteroid that created the cluster, is a parent body of the H-chondrite type.”
Researchers have discovered that low iron (l cartilage) and very low iron (LL chondrite) metstones mainly come from the inner main belt.
“I propose that L cartilage comes from the Hertha Asteroid family, just above the Masalia family,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.
“The asteroid Elsa doesn’t look like its fragments. Hertha is covered in dark rocks of shock black, which exhibits unusually violent collisions. The L-chondrites experienced a very violent origin 468 million years ago, when these metstones bombarded the Earth with numbers found in geological records.”
Knowing from the remains of the asteroid belt, the birth of our metstones is important for our planetary defense efforts against asteroids on the near Earth.
The orbits of approaching asteroids can provide clues to the origin of the asteroid belt, just like the metstone orbit.
“Asteroids near Earth do not arrive in the same orbit as Metstones because it takes time for them to evolve into Earth,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.
“But they come from some of the same Astide family.”
Team’s paper Published in the journal Weather and Planetary Science.
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Peter Jenniskens & Hadrien ar Devillepoix. Asteroids, meteors, and meteor-shaped link reviews. Weather and Planetary SciencePublished online on March 17th, 2025. doi:10.1111/maps.14321
Mars appears bright blue in this near-infrared image taken by Hera's spacecraft. The month's deimos is a dark mark towards the center of the image
ESA
Space exploration mission to study asteroids that NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft three years ago takes stunning bonus images of Mars and its moon Deimos is on the way to his final destination.
NASA's 2022 Double Planet Redirect Test (DART) was an attempt to show that bodies on a collision course with the planet could be deliberately redirected to avoid catastrophic effects. Observations from Earth showed that NASA successfully alters the orbit of the asteroid by crushing the 610-kilogram ship into distant asteroid shaped leaves at 6.6 km/sec. Dimorphos did not present any risk to the Earth, and simply acted as a subject.
Hera is a subsequent European Space Agency mission designed to explore the effects of crashes in detail. The craft is the size of a small car weighing 1081 kilograms when fully fueled. It was released on October 7, 2024 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, and on March 12, 2025 I made a flyby to Mars on my way to the asteroid.
Deimos looks dark surrounded by Mars
ESA
Hera came close to 5,000 kilometers to the surface of Mars, received a gravity boost and cast it at Dimorphos. The operation reduced travel time by months and saved fuel.
It was very close to Mars, but I was able to turn on the trio of sensors to take detailed photos of some of the planets. Demos in the same frame. We captured images, infrared cameras and hyperspectral imagers that can sense different colors beyond the limits of the human eye using a 1020 x 1020 pixel resolution.
Hera moved at 9 km/sec compared to Mars, allowing him to image Deimos, a distance of just 1000 kilometers, ranging from 12.4 kilometers long. You can also photograph the side of the moon, which is attractively trapped from Mars, but that's not very common.
Deimos shines much brighter than Mars in this shot taken by Hera's thermal infrared imager
ESA/JAXA
The first concept behind the Hera mission was that it existed when Dart collided with Dimorphos, but delays in funding made it impossible. It will arrive a few years after the impact.
The mission also features two miniature satellites, called Juventus and Milani, or Cubesat. Rather than rotating the traits, these will fly before them and make a drastic pass at smaller, risky distances to collect data. Both are expected to look better if they eventually land on an asteroid and do everything they can in the distance.
The near-Earth asteroid called the 2024 YR4 has been closely monitored over the past few months as its chances of impacting Earth increased to about 3% in 2032. After the latest observations from the ESO's very large telescope (VLT), the probability of impact has decreased to about 0.001%.
This VLT image shows asteroid 2024 YR4 near Earth. Image credit: ESO/O. hainaut.
2024 yr4 On December 27, 2024, the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact of Río Hurtado was discovered by the Last Alert System (Atlas) station.
Between 40-90 m in diameter, the asteroid took a close approach to Earth at a distance of 828,800 km (515,000 miles) two days before its discovery.
The 2024 YR4 is currently moving, with the next close approach taking place on December 17th, 2028.
On December 22, 2032, the asteroid quickly rose to the top of the ESA risk list due to its size and potential impact. This is a catalogue of all the space rocks that can affect Earth.
“Uncertainty means that the orbit of an asteroid is like a flashlight beam. It becomes wide and wide and ambiguous in the distance.”
“As we observe more, the beam becomes sharper and narrower. The Earth was illuminated more by this beam. The probability of impact increased.”
The observations of the new VLT, along with data from other observatory data, were able to exclude the impact on Earth in 2032 by Dr. Hainaut and his colleagues, but were able to constrain sufficient orbits for all.
“The narrower beams are now far from Earth,” Dr. Heinout said.
The impact probability reported by the ESA's short-range object adjustment center is about 0.001%, and asteroids no longer place the ESA risk list above.
As the 2024 YR4 is far from Earth, it has become increasingly faint and difficult to observe it with all but the largest telescopes.
“The VLT contributes to the observation of this asteroid due to its mirror size and excellent sensitivity, and is an excellent darker sky at the Delusional Observatory of ESO in Chile, where the telescope is located,” the astronomer said.
“This would ideally help track faint objects such as the 2024 YR4 and other potentially dangerous asteroids.”
“Unfortunately, the same pristine, dark sky that allowed these important measurements is now under threat by Industrial Megaproject Inna by AES Andes, a subsidiary of US utility AES Corporation.”
“The project plans to cover areas similar to the size of small cities and be located at the nearest point, about 11 km from VLT.”
“Because of its size and proximity, INNA will have a devastating effect on the quality of Paranal's sky, particularly due to mild contamination from industrial facilities.”
“In bright sky, telescopes like VLT lose the ability to detect the weakest universe's targets.”
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flies by the small asteroid Donald Johansson on April 20, 2025.
By flashing between images captured by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft on February 20th and 22nd, 2025, this animation shows Donald Johansson’s perceived movement against the background star as the spacecraft rapidly approaches the asteroid. Image credit: NASA/GODDARD/SWRI/JOHNS HOPKINS APL.
Donald Johansson It is a carbonaceous small intestine about 4 km (2.5 miles) in diameter.
First discovered by American astronomer Sheltebas at the Siding Spring Observatory on March 2, 1981, it orbited within the inner region of the main asteroid belt.
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will pass within 960 km (596 miles) of Donald Johansson on April 20th.
“This second asteroid encounter for Lucy will serve as a rehearsal for Jupiter’s Trojan asteroid outfit, the spacecraft’s main target,” a member of the Lucy team said in a statement.
“The spacecraft had already successfully observed the main belt asteroid Dinkinesh and its moon, Serum and Serum in November 2023.”
This diagram shows NASA’s Lucy spacecraft passing through one of the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. Image credit: Southwest Research Institute.
“But at a distance of 70 million km (45 million miles), Donald Johansson is still dim, but he stands out clearly in this area of relatively faint stars in the constellations of Sextane,” the researchers said.
“The north of the sky is on the right side of the frame, with a 0.11-degree field of vision corresponding to 85,500 miles (140,000 km) of asteroidal distance.”
“Of the two images, another dimly lit asteroid can see the photobomb in the quadrant at the bottom right of the image.”
“However, as the headlights of approaching cars often remain relatively still, Donald Johansson’s obvious movement between these two images is much smaller than that of this intruder, who has fallen out of sight in the second image.”
According to scientists, Donald Johansson was named after anthropologist Donald Johansson, who discovered “Lucy.” Lucy Mission is named after the fossil.
“Lucy will continue to image Donald Johansson as part of his optical navigation program for the next two months. The optical navigation program will use the apparent position of the asteroid against the star’s background to ensure an accurate flyby,” they said.
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