Asteroids

Shortly after the announcement of the TRAPPIST-1 system, NASA crowdsourced its Twitter followers for possible planet names. The actual process of naming new planets, however, is a bit more involved.

How Do New Planets Get Their Names?

Sorry, Planet McPlanetface: Asteroids, moons and other celestial bodies go through a strict set of international naming guidelines

Ceres is much more than a rotating rock.

Organic Material Found on Ceres Hints at Potential for Life

Scientists are fired up about these building blocks of life

Ancient Asteroid Collision Is Still Raining Space Rocks Down on Earth

A new study shows that today's meteorites considerably differ from those of the ancient past

The asteroid Vesta, explored by NASA's Dawn spacecraft in 2011 and 2012

A Sneaky Asteroid Buzzed By Earth Yesterday

The space rock passed by at about half the distance between our planet and the moon

An artist’s conception of the Lucy spacecraft flying by the Trojan asteroid Eurybates (left) and Psyche, the first mission to a metal asteroid (right).

NASA Just Announced Two New Missions, But Shelved Others

Though the new missions have exciting prospects, some scientists aren’t thrilled by the decision

Nördlingen is located in a crater in southern Germany.

This German Town Is Embedded with Millions of Tiny Diamonds

Scientists estimate that Nördlingen and the surrounding area contain approximately 72,000 tons of the gemstone

Never Fear, an Oceanic Asteroid Impact Wouldn’t Cause Apocalyptic Tidal Waves

But it could have long-term effects on the climate

Illustration of NASA's 2005 Deep Impact mission

Scientist Warns We're Unprepared for a Comet Strike

NASA researcher Joseph Nuth proposes that we build and store two spacecraft to deal with potential comet or asteroid strikes

Asteroid 2016 VA just before it passed into the Earth's shadow.

Astronomers Just Watched an Asteroid Skim Through Earth’s Shadow

The short video was tricky to shoot

Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on NASA's final space shuttle mission from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 8, 2011.

Many of NASA's Recent Successes Actually Date Back to the Bush Administration

Some leaps, launches and grand plans for the future

OSRIS-REx

Watch OSIRIS-REx Head to the Cosmos to Grab a Scoop of Asteroid Dust

Today, NASA will launch the spacecraft which will travel to the nearby asteroid Bennu

An artist's impression of a planet forming through accretion.

To Uncover Earth’s Origins, Scientists Must Look Beyond It

Missions to study the other planetary bodies in our solar system could help solve the mystery of how our own came to be.

Help astronomers track asteroid 2010 NY65 as it streaks across the sky on Asteroid Day

Track These Space Rocks From Your Couch on Asteroid Day

With just a click, you can help astronomers learn more about two nearby asteroids

Meet Three of Earth's Tiny Celestial Buddies

A handful of quasi-satellites, mini-moons and Trojan asteroids tag along with Earth as it whizzes around the sun

An illustration of asteroid 2016 HO3's orbit.

Scientists Spot Tiny Asteroid Tagging Along Behind The Earth

It's our very own “quasi-moon”

Will Luxembourg Lead the Race for Space Mining?

The tiny nation announced its private industry partners for asteroid mining

Amateur Astronomers Capture an Asteroid or Comet Colliding With Jupiter

The object recently exploded in the atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet

The bright spots of Occator Crater are shown in enhanced color in this view from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

New NASA Images Shed Light on Ceres’ Bright Spots

Yet the dwarf planet serves up fresh mysteries

NASA's OSIRIS-REx project will send a craft to a near-Earth asteroid and take a sample to study back on Earth.

NASA Wants You to Send Your Art to an Asteroid

The agency is looking for creative contributions as it readies its mission to study and sample a near-Earth asteroid

Russia Wants to Turn Old Missiles Into an Asteroid Defense System

One of the world's deadliest missiles could become a planetary life-saver

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