Lift-off! NASA chases Psyche Asteroid

Two for the price of one! NASA has just made a shocking revelation. NASA's Lucy mission, designed to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids which recently flew close by Asteroid Dinkinesh, revealed some surprising results. This Trojan asteroid had a huge secret that was finally exposed. The Lucy Mission spacecraft took images that found that the asteroid Dinkinesh is not just one asteroid. In fact, it is a binary pair floating in the orbit of Jupiter. Know more about the astonishing Asteroid Dinkinesh discovery here.

An asteroid struck Earth this year! No, this isn't the plot of a Roland Emmerich science-fiction but reality. Although it wasn't a planet killer that wiped out entire species like another space rock wiped out the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago, it did impact the surface, alerting citizens who lived nearby. As per NASA, an asteroid turned into an atmospheric fireball on February 15 and crashed near McAllen, Texas. Law enforcement agencies in the McAllen region received several calls from residents who reported hearing a loud explosion. It was a 1000-pound rock that was 2 feet in diameter as it broke into pieces about 21 miles above Earth's surface.

Asteroids have posed a threat to Earth with their close approaches throughout history. While most of these ancient space rocks have passed the planet at close proximity, a few of them have impacted Earth, altering the course of history itself. Perhaps the most famous asteroid impact in history is the asteroid which struck Earth 65 million years ago and kicked off the extinction of dinosaurs. Therefore, it is imperative that we discover and study these space rocks up close to minimize any uncertainties around their close approaches and predict any potential impact. This is where NASA's Lucy mission comes in.

There have been several close calls with asteroids in history. But did you know that not all asteroids have the same composition? According to NASA, the three primary classifications of asteroids are C-type, S-type, and M-type. C-type asteroids, which are composed primarily of carbon-rich substances, are the most frequent. S-type asteroids, which are made up mainly of silicate minerals, are less common. M-type asteroids, which are primarily composed of metal, are the least prevalent. One rare asteroid has recently piqued the interest of scientists as it is reportedly made of gold, silver and nickel deposits!

NASA keeps a regular check on the Asteroids passing close to the Earth. Asteroids have posed a potential threat to Earth for millions of years now. That is why it is extremely important that we prepare for all eventualities. Stopping an asteroid is impossible at the last moment, but we can take preventative measures and that is why space agencies like NASA keep a watch on all asteroids approaching Earth. In a journey to track asteroids, NASA has successfully executed the DART mission where it was able to divert an asteroid from its path. Now, NASA has tracked a gigantic asteroid traveling close to Earth. Check out the details below:

NASA's Psyche spacecraft has been successfully launched, embarking on a groundbreaking mission to explore an asteroid of the same name, which is a metal-rich world that holds the potential to shed light on the formation of rocky planets.

NASA tracks asteroids using a combination of ground-based and space-based telescopes. The NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), scans the night sky for moving objects and reports any potential asteroid detections, while some space-based observatories use infrared sensors to detect asteroids and their characteristics. Some of these include the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the NEOWISE mission. Using these advanced instruments, the space agency has revealed information about a 1200-foot Potentially Hazardous Asteroid that is set to pass Earth today. Know all about it.

Do you know how many asteroids NASA scientists have tracked to date? Approximately 1,298,148 asteroids have been identified by NASA. The space agency employs a range of advanced ground and space-based telescopes for tracking and researching these cosmic rocks, primarily concentrated within the asteroid belt situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Telescopes and observatories such as NEOWISE, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Pan-STARRS1, and the Catalina Sky Survey play pivotal roles in the study of asteroids and the mitigation of uncertainties surrounding their close encounters with Earth.

For years, it has been known that the most likely cause of the extinction of dinosaurs was an asteroid impact. The most common theory behind the extinction is the Alvarez hypothesis, which claims that an asteroid struck Earth nearly 65 million years ago and wiped out entire species of dinosaurs. This theory is backed by some proof too as scientists have also discovered its impact crater, known as the Chicxulub crater, buried under the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. As per the hypothesis, the impact of the asteroid would have caused the formation of huge tidal waves and an impact crater almost 140 km wide. Lland material would have splattered into space, changing the Earth into a nuclear winter-like environment, ultimately leading to the demise of dinosaurs.

Microsoft is apparently not spooked by closing the deal on the unlucky day of Friday the 13th.

With its advanced tech such as the NEOWISE telescope, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Pans-STARRS1 and Catalina Sky Survey, NASA has revealed details about an asteroid that will come close to Earth. An asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2023 TC1, is on its way towards Earth and could make its closest approach to the planet today, October 13.

Several of the biggest names in superhero comics are coming together to launch their own "creator-owned and operated media company," named Ghost Machine. Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Peter J. Tomasi, and Maytal Zchut will all become exclusive Ghost Machine creators once their current obligations to other publishers are through.