Villain in disguise: Jupiter's role in impacts on Earth

Jupiter is often credited for shielding Earth from catastrophic asteroid and comet impacts. But new simulations of the influence of gas giant planets in solar systems casts doubt on Jupiter's reputation as Earth's protector.

Study supports theory of extraterrestrial impact

A 16-member international team of researchers that includes James Kennett, professor of earth science at UC Santa Barbara, has identified a nearly 13,000-year-old layer of thin, dark sediment buried in the floor of Lake Cuitzeo ...

Hyperactive Hartley 2 has a split history

The latest analysis of data from NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft shows that comet 103P/Hartley 2 is hyperactive in terms of the material it spews out, compared to the other comets observed up close to date. The comet also ...

Latest EPOXI findings on Comet Hartley 2 published

Comet Hartley 2, is in a hyperactive class of its own compared to other comets visited by spacecraft, says a University of Maryland-led study published in the June 17 issue of the journal Science.

Comet Hartley 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- The comet Hartley 2 is a relatively small and elongated comet - only about 0.6 x 0.4 kilometers in size. It orbits the sun every 6.46 years, getting as close to it as 1.05 astronomical units (the Earth is ...

At the heart of Hartley-2, a new breed of comet?

(PhysOrg.com) -- At the heart of every comet lies a remnant of the dawn of the solar system. Or is that remnants? Astronomers don't know, but the answer would give them a clearer picture of exactly how comets were born eons ...

Waiter, there's metal in my moon water

(PhysOrg.com) -- Bring a filter if you plan on drinking water from the moon. Water ice recently discovered in dust at the bottom of a crater near the moon's south pole is accompanied by metallic elements like mercury, magnesium, ...

NASA releases images of man-made crater on comet

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned new images of a comet showing a scar resulting from the 2005 Deep Impact mission. The images also showed the comet has a fragile and weak nucleus.

NASA spacecraft unravels comet mystery

A NASA spacecraft's flyby with a comet showed erosion on the Tempel 1's surface since it skimmed by the Sun in 2005, and revealed Tuesday the first clear pictures of the crater made by a Deep Impact probe.

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