A newly discovered asteroid designated 2017 TF5 flew past Earth at 0.73 LD (~280 320 km / 174 182 miles) at 07:40 UTC on October 10, 2017, 4 days before it was discovered. This is the 38th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the…
Using the CALIFA survey, astronomer Athanasia Tsatsi (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy) and her colleagues studied the spindle-like galaxies and found that these slender galaxies, which rotate along their longest axis, are much more common than previously thought….
Asteroid 2012 TC4, discovered in 2012 by PanSTARRS-1, will fly past our planet at a very close distance of 0.13 LD (~50 100 km / 31 140 miles) at 05:40 UTC on October 12, 2017. Current estimates suggest it should peak around mag +12.8 at closest approach and be…
A very bright fireball streaked across the night sky over western France at 03:36 UTC (05:36 local time) on October 5, 2017 and was recorded by REFORME's all-sky camera. It lasted between 3 and 7 seconds and was much brighter than the Moon. REFORME is asking all…
A major fireball was observed and recorded over southwest China at 12:07 UTC (20:07 local time) on October 4, 2017. The event lasted more than 10 seconds before the object disintegrated in a very bright flash. It was followed by a sonic boom. According to witness…
October 2017 has two meteor showers, one minor – Draconids, on October 8, and one major – Orionids, on October 21 and 22. Draconids will be mostly blocked by the nearly full moon, but Orionids will present an interesting opportunity as the crescent Moon will set…
A small asteroid designated 2017 SX17 will flyby Earth at a very close distance of 0.23 LD (~ 88 320 km / 54 879 miles) on October 2, 2017. This is the 36th known asteroid to flyby Earth since the start of the year, according to data available at CNEOS on October…
When charged particles from a solar storm reached Mars this month, they set off an aurora 25 times brighter and surface level radiation readings twice as high as any previous measurements. An unexpectedly strong blast from the Sun hit Mars this month, observed by…
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2017 SU17 flew past Earth at 0.72 LD (~ 276 480 km / 171 796 miles) at 08:12 UTC on September 24, 2017. This is now the second known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 LD on September 24, and the 34th since the start of the year,…
A new, bright Kreutz 'sungrazing' comet was discovered on September 26, 2017. The comet appeared in SOHO LASCO C3 imagery around 03:06 UTC on September 26 and finished its journey around 09:00 UTC on September 27. It was recorded by both LASCO C3 and C2…
