Solar System
Asteroid Facts: Vesta
The asteroid designated 4 Vesta is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt with a diameter of 525 kilometres (326 miles). Discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on 29 March 1807, and named after …
Asteroids and Comets
Solar System
Dwarf Planet Facts: Ceres
Ceres was thought to be an asteroid for many years but is so much bigger than its rocky neighbors that it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. Although Ceres is reasonably easy to …
News
Scientists Confirm First Ever Interstellar Asteroid
Last month, Hawaiian based astronomers using the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS 1 telescope discovered the first confirmed asteroid in our solar system originating from another star. While the reddish, cigar-shape object has been given the …
Solar System
10 Interesting Facts about Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley)
Halley’s Comet, also designated 1P/Halley as it was the first comet to be recognized as periodic, is the only comet that is known to be visible without optical aid during each apparition, which occurs once …
Solar System
The Main Asteroid Belt of The Solar System
In general terms, the asteroid belt is defined as the relatively thickly populated region approximately between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. Also known as the main-asteroid belt to differentiate between it and …
News
Probe Lands On Distant Comet Seeking Clues To Life’s Origins
On 2nd March 2004, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft along with its robotic lander called Philae launched from Earth with the stated mission of successfully landing on the surface of Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko (named …
News
Over 10,000 Near-Earth Objects Discovered
The number of asteroids and comets which pass close to our planet has now passed the 10,000 mark, after the Pan-STARRS-1 telescope on the Hawaiian Island of Maui added asteroid 2013 MZ5 to the list …
News
Comet Of The Century Could Spark Spectacular Meteor Shower
Excitement is already beginning to mount as an ice ball the size of a mountain and dubbed the “comet of the century” steadily makes its way towards the inner solar system. If it lives up …
News
1.7 Mile Asteroid To Flyby Earth On May 31st
A massive asteroid 1.7 miles (2.7kms) wide is set to make its closest approach to Earth in two hundred years on May 31st. However, before sparking any unnecessary panic it should be noted that asteroid …
Solar System
The Next Gold Rush: Asteroid Mining?
After asteroid 433 Eros flew close to the Earth in 1998, scientists estimated that the rocky body contained around 20 billion tons of precious metals, including gold, platinum and titanium. This would have an equivalent …