near earth objects
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‘Too Close for Comfort’: Two Satellites Nearly Collide Above Earth
In a tense moment for space safety, two satellites—NASA’s TIMED spacecraft and the defunct Russian Cosmos 2221—came alarmingly close to smashing into each other above Earth, prompting concerns about the risks of space debris. The near miss happened Wednesday arvo as the two satellites brushed past each other some 378 miles (608 kilometers) above Earth,…
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Russian Motor Spontaneously Explodes in Orbit, Creating Debris Cloud
An old Russian motor that’s been aimlessly floating through space for more than a decade has finally met its demise in a sudden explosion, producing at least 16 shards of orbital debris that now threaten satellites and other objects.
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Arecibo Observatory’s Greatest Triumphs
Yesterday brought the tragic news that the famous 304.80 m radio dish at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will have to be demolished after the failure of two support cables. It’s the end of an era, but a good excuse to revisit some of the most important scientific contributions made possible by the famous…
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A Car-Sized Asteroid Just Got Remarkably Close to Hitting Earth
On August 16, a car-sized asteroid came to within 2,945 kilometres of our planet, making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid on record.