As Earth orbits the sun, it continually ploughs through dust and debris left behind by passing comets and asteroids. On any night of the year, a keen-eyed observer might see five, or even ten, meteors (shooting stars) per ...
Space Exploration
Oct 17, 2014
0
0
The first analysis of space dust collected by a special collector onboard NASA's Stardust mission and sent back to Earth for study in 2006 suggests the tiny specks open a door to studying the origins of the solar system and ...
Space Exploration
Aug 29, 2014
2
0
(Phys.org) —Less than a week before Rosetta's rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, images obtained by OSIRIS, the spacecraft's onboard scientific imaging system, show clear signs of a coma surrounding the comet's ...
Space Exploration
Aug 1, 2014
0
0
Comet C/2013 UQ4 (Catalina) has been observed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft just one day after passing through its closest approach to the sun. The comet glows brightly ...
Space Exploration
Jul 24, 2014
0
0
A comet-chasing spacecraft on a mission to land on a fizzing ball of ice and dust later this year has begun a crucial slow-down maneuver to avoid flying past its target.
Space Exploration
Jul 2, 2014
0
1
(Phys.org) —An image snapped earlier this month by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft shows its target comet has quietened, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of these enigmatic objects.
Space Exploration
Jun 20, 2014
0
0
In July, Rosetta is expected to send the first images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's nucleus, as seen from a large distance. The space probe will enter an orbit around the comet nucleus in August, where it will remain ...
Space Exploration
Jan 24, 2014
0
0
(Phys.org) —After a ten-year journey and a long, deep sleep the Rosetta space probe was woken up on 20 January. The vehicle now starts the last leg of its journey which will lead it to the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet. ...
Space Exploration
Jan 21, 2014
0
0
US astrophysicists are split over what will happen when the comet ISON passes near the sun Thursday, but a majority think it will break apart.
Space Exploration
Nov 27, 2013
1
0
(Phys.org) —ISON is approaching the Sun. An international observation campaign which involves ground-based telescopes, space probes and space telescopes has been running for some time and is already providing initial findings. ...
Space Exploration
Nov 11, 2013
0
0
