Fragments of Asteroid 2018 LA
On June 2, 2018, astronomers detected a small asteroid merely eight hours before it struck the Earth’s atmosphere. It was detected using the 60-inch telescope at Mt. Lemmon, which is part of the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona When the asteroid designated 2018 LA made impact, it produced a terrific explosion when it disintegrated 30 […]
Asteroid Day June 30, 2018
ASTEROID DAY June 30, 2018 Today is the fourth annual International Asteroid Day. This day is now recognized by the United Nations, and it marks a global opportunity to raise awareness of the threat of numerous rocks zooming through space. Asteroid Day is held on the anniversary of the Tunguska explosion, when a small asteroid […]
Asteroid Day Live | 48-Hour Broadcast
Beginning June 29, Brian Cox returns to host the first ever 48-hour global broadcast about asteroids & space. Bringing together asteroid experts, astronauts, policy makers and celebrities. This 6-hour Live segment from Luxembourg begins at 12PM CEST (6AM ET) on June 29. It will be repeated on June 30 and July 1. ESA and the […]
Is ‘Oumuamua a Comet?
In the fall of 2017, we reported that an interstellar object designated as ‘Oumuamua had entered our solar system to much excitement. It is the first interstellar object to be detected passing through our solar system, and might have come from a double star system according to astronomers. Now, astronomers have made a new […]
Will We Find Life in Alpha Centauri?
Is there life on planets in Alpha Centauri, the star system that is closest to ours? An abundance of dangerous X-ray radiation makes it unlikely for the one exoplanet that we have found so far. But, there is new data that suggests a better chance with any new planets that we have yet to discover. […]
Astronomers Watch As Black Hole Eats Star
On June 15, 2018, astronomers announced that they now have the first image of a star being shredded by a black hole. The star-stuff enters the disk surrounding the hole , and it’s also ejected back to space in powerful jets. One of the most awesome phenomena in the universe, black holes masses are so […]
Watching a Black Widow Pulsar
On May 23, 2018 astronomers in Toronto claim to have performed one of the highest resolution observations in astronomical history. They claim to have observed two intense regions of radiation, around twelve miles apart, around a star, a rapidly spinning pulsar PSR B1957+20, or the Black Widow pulsar, that is 6,500 light-years away. “It was like […]
Asteroid 2010 WC9 Lost and Found
Asteroid 2010 WC9 will safely pass at about half’s the moon’s distance on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Estimates of its size range from 197 to 427 feet making the May 15 pass one of the closest approaches ever observed of an asteroid of this size. This asteroid was “lost” and then found again. Asteroid 2010 […]
The Mystery Of The Missing Magnetic Monopoles
The Mystery Of The Missing Magnetic Monopoles By Judith E Braffman-Miller The night sky above Earth blazes with the distant fierce fires of countless stars, and when we stare up at this magnificent spectacle of stellar fireworks, we cannot help but wonder how this show came to be. What scientists know now, or […]
Another Meteor Shower: Eta Aquariids
Hey sky watchers and stargazers, get ready for another Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquariid meteors can be seen this weekend. Every year between late April and May, the Earth comes into the orbital path of Halley’s Comet, plowing through the stream of comet debris which is the source of the Eta Aquariids. This shower favors […]