2010 X1 (Elenin) is apparently disintegrating. It faded dramatically after a solar flare on August 20. Images at the end of August revealed a spreading, more diffuse coma. It will likely continue to fade and become more diffuse in the opening days of the month. It
While some may dismiss such claims as hype, there is a real fear among NASA officials that, should the orbiting space station need to be abandoned, the risk for a catastrophic failure greatly increases.
The situation arose when Russia’s Soyuz rocket, carrying
As September begins, green Comet Garradd is gliding across the star fields of the Milky Way in the early evening sky. The icy visitor from the outer solar system is not yet visible to the naked eye, but it looks great through amateur telescopes.Astrophotographer
While scientists keep a close watch on the myriad space rocks near Earth, they don’t yet have a solid plan on what to do if one appears headed on a collision course toward our planet.Two new studies propose potential spacecraft missions that would collide with
NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) team has commenced testing communication scenarios for near-Earth asteroids. The RATS team also evaluates technology, human-robotic systems and extravehicular equipment in the high desert near Flagstaff,…
Whenever astronomers discover a comet headed inbound toward a close encounter the Sun, there's always buzz among observers about how bright it might get. That was certainly the case last December, when Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1) made its debut. Many hoped
Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1), widely known for inaccurate reports of its threat to Earth, appears to be breaking apart. Observations by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo of Castlemaine, Australia show a rapid dimming and elongation of the comet's nucleus akin to
A bright meteor lit up the night sky above Atlanta on Sunday, August 28, 2011, in a dazzling display caught by NASA cameras. The meteor streaked over Atlanta, Ga., and its surrounding cities at the mind-blowing speed of about 52,800 mph (84,970 kph). NASA's…
Scientist warn about threat to spacecraft and the enviroment that posses space debris orbiting the Earth. According to J.-C. Liou of the Orbital Debris Program Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the space junk trend no longer can be reversed by full compliance with
The comet, with the nomenclature C/2009 P1, is now coming into small telescope/binocular view so here’s your chance to see the brightest comet in the current night sky. You can find it in the late evening sky in the constellation Pegasus. Viewing it now,
