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Geminids meteor shower peaks this week under dark skies

16Dec

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Technology

Geminids meteor shower peaks this week under dark skies

[ad_1] The year's best meteor shower, the Geminids, peaks this week. Skygazers may see as many as one or even two a minute streaking across dark skies.The meteors will reach their frenzy Thursday. But Wednesday night should provide a cosmic spectacle as well. The moon is waning so that will make for prime viewing anywhere in the world where skies are clear and in spots without light pollution. NASA urged observers to look everywhere in the sky since meteors don't come from any particular direction. Between 60 and 120 meteors are expected every hour at peak time, weather permitting.NASA meteoroid expert Bill Cooke said he loves that the Geminids have a greenish hue as they speed across the sky and burn up. Most meteors appear to be colorless or white depending on their chemical makeup. ...

NASA to extend New Horizons mission to Kuiper belt, where comets come from

4Oct

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NASA to extend New Horizons mission to Kuiper belt, where comets come from

[ad_1] NASA's New Horizons mission which was launched in 2006 has now been extended by almost 5 more years. The objective of the mission was to explore Pluto and now the mission will continue till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, the place where comets reside. The mission was planned to be concluded next year in 2024, however, now the space agency has extended objectives for the mission. Know what NASA has planned for the mission.New Horizons mission extensionAccording to a NASA report, the New Horizons will start with new objectives from 2025. Now, the spacecraft is planned to explore the Kuiper belt objects. This mission will be continued till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, which could take till 2028 or 2029. The primary goal of New Horizons is to gather heliophysics data ...

24Aug

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Technology

What is Oort cloud?

[ad_1] There are multiple space objects present in our solar system that we are unaware of. The mysteries of space are awe-inspiring as well as scary to discover. With the latest technology and expert minds at work, we can discover so many things that are present way beyond our solar system. Scientists and astronomers have discovered and studied objects that are millions of light-years away from our planet. One such object that is present near our solar system is the Oort cloud. It refers to a theorized group of icy objects collectively called the Oort cloud. Let's check out more about the object.What is Oort cloud?According to a NASA report. the Oort cloud is like a bubble enveloping the solar system. It is made of icy, comet-like objects. It is located beyond Pluto or the Kuiper Belt....

Asteroid 2020 PN1’s orbit will bring it close to Earth today! Close encounter in offing

3Aug

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Asteroid 2020 PN1’s orbit will bring it close to Earth today! Close encounter in offing

[ad_1] If asteroids are located millions of kilometers away in space, then why do we need to track them? According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), asteroids, which are ancient space rocks, present a potential threat of collision with Earth and they can help discover secrets of space that have been hidden from us. While most of them are located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, they often make close approaches to Earth, passing the planet at close distances.This can happen if an asteroid gets knocked off course, affected by a large planet's gravitational pull. Their orbits can also bring them extremely close to Earth, making it imperative to study and track them. NASA has now tracked an asteroid whose orbit will bring it close ...

Devil comet heading towards Earth! Grows huge horns

28Jul

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Devil comet heading towards Earth! Grows huge horns

[ad_1] A rare and peculiar event in the cosmos has captured the attention of astronomers! Last year's famous green comet has given way to another fascinating space object. Recently, researchers have discovered a strange comet that seems to have grown horns. Yes, the comet has grown devil like horns. If that confuses you, don't worry. It doesn't really have horns, but its telescopic images caught by the spacecrafts give an illusion that it does have them! So, what exactly are these devil horns? Scientists have an answer for this.About the cometThe recently found comet is known 12P/Pons-Brooks (12P) comet. It stands out as a cryovolcanic, or cold volcano, comet. Comets, including 12P, consist of a solid nucleus containing a mixture of ice, dust, and gas. What sets 12P apart from most othe...

190-foot asteroid rushing towards Earth rapidly; NASA needs your help to track space rocks!

19Jul

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Technology

190-foot asteroid rushing towards Earth rapidly; NASA needs your help to track space rocks!

[ad_1] If you're a budding astronomer and asteroid hunter, then you can help NASA discover and track asteroids in space! NASA's new Daily Minor Planet Project allows astronomers and skywatchers to help discover new asteroids and track them in data sets. To capture asteroids, the Daily Minor Project uses the NASA-funded, University of Arizona-based Catalina Sky Survey which captures nearly 1000 images every night. Due to this volume, NASA scientists fall short of personnel to study these images.NASA says, “You'll decide if the specks of light in the images look like genuine celestial bodies or, instead, are false detections resulting from inconveniently timed "twinkles" of the star-studded background.” After looking at the image, you just have to click on a yes or a no button and add a c...

Physicist who found spherical meteor fragments claims they may come from an alien spaceship

9Jul

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Physicist who found spherical meteor fragments claims they may come from an alien spaceship

[ad_1] Avi Loeb, a physicist from Harvard University in the US, has recovered 50 tiny spherical iron fragments from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that he claims may be material from an interstellar alien spaceship.Loeb is linking his finding with the passage of a fireball in January 2014. The meteor was observed by sensors of the US Department of Defense that track all objects entering the Earth's atmosphere. It was recorded as travelling faster than most meteors and eventually broke up over the South Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea. at a on the object is held by Nasa's Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). The meteor's official name is CNEOS 20140108, and is also referred to as IM1 (for interstellar meteor). There is a very large scientific leap from observing a fireball ...

The enigma behind the Geminid Meteor shower unravelled

24Jun

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The enigma behind the Geminid Meteor shower unravelled

[ad_1] Recent findings have shed light on the mysterious origins of the annual Geminid meteor shower. In a NASA blog post on June 14, 2023, Desiree Apodaca from the Goddard Space Flight Center revealed intriguing insights suggesting that a high-speed collision or a gaseous explosion could be responsible for creating the Geminid meteor stream.Unlike other meteor showers such as the Delta Aquariids or the Perseids, which are caused by debris from icy comets orbiting the sun, the Geminid meteors have a different source.For several decades, scientists have known that the parent body of the Geminids is not a fragile comet but a solid asteroid named 3200 Phaethon, as EarthSky reported. The behavior of Phaethon is peculiar. While most asteroids do not exhibit such characteristics, Phaethon, as...

Origin of Geminids meteor shower revealed! NASA Parker Solar Probe unearths BIG mystery

16Jun

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Origin of Geminids meteor shower revealed! NASA Parker Solar Probe unearths BIG mystery

[ad_1] The Geminids meteor shower is one of the most spectacular meteor showers that occurs annually. For the unaware, meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids. While asteroids can be found in space in their own orbits, they leave behind debris trails consisting of meteors. As Earth revolves around the Sun, it passes through these clouds which allows the rocky bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky. Although it has been known that the Geminids originate from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission has shed new light on the unusual origin of this meteor shower.What are Geminids?The meteor shower is termed the Geminid Meteor Shower because the meteors appear to originate fr...

30May

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 30 May 2023: The awesome Dumbbell Nebula!

[ad_1] Over the past few months, we have witnessed several breathtaking but peculiarly-shaped nebulae, as part of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day which is published on a daily basis. Although most nebulae belong to just three types - spherical, elliptical, and bipolar, some of them might be irregularly shaped, so much so that they resemble objects on Earth. Some of the most peculiar shapes include the Headphone Nebula, the Heart and Soul Nebula, and the Flying Ghost Nebula. For the unaware, a nebula is a star-forming region located in Interstellar space, which is the space between stars. It consists of gases, mainly hydrogen, and helium.Today's NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day is planetary nebula M27, also known as the Dumbbell Nebula, which is located about 1360 light-years away tow...