NASA: The Only Thing Stopping a City-Destroying Asteroid Is Blind Luck

NASA: The Only Thing Stopping a City-Destroying Asteroid Is Blind Luck

So you know how we all kind of thought that our odds of getting destroyed by an asteroid were remarkably low? Yeah, that was wrong . According to new research, the odds of a large-scale asteroid impact are actually three to ten times higher than we thought. And the only thing stopping total and utter destruction? Sheer, dumb luck.

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This Ancient Asteroid Strike Was More Insane Than We Realized

This Ancient Asteroid Strike Was More Insane Than We Realized

Around 3.26 billion years ago — long before the dinosaurs — a massive asteroid measuring nearly 36 miles (58 km) across smashed into the Earth. Geologists have now reconstructed this cataclysmic event, and it was far, far bigger than we thought. Here’s how things went down on that fateful day.

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Astronomers found a minor planet with a ring system like Saturn's

Astronomers found a minor planet with a ring system like Saturn's

For the first time ever, astronomers have identified a small planet with a ring system. They previously thought that such a phenomenon could only happen on large planets like Saturn and Jupiter. But this special space rock, known as 10199 Chariklo, is a small planet called a Centaur.

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NASA: 100-foot asteroid will fly by Earth today closer than the Moon

NASA: 100-foot asteroid will fly by Earth today closer than the Moon

Surprise! NASA just issued a last minute asteroid notice: Today, a 100-foot (30 meter) asteroid called 2014 DX110 is going to fly by Earth closer than the Moon. The closest point will be 217,000 miles (about 350,000 kilometers) at around 4PM Eastern Standard Time.

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Arcade Lights Bring the Arcade Experience Home (Minus the Games)

While many of us fans of classic arcade games would love to have a whole roomful of old arcade cabinets, we don’t always have the space, the money, or the understanding significant other to allow for such dalliances. ArcadeLights has the next best thing.

Instead of filling up tons of space with a complete arcade cabinet, ArcadeLights takes original game marquees and mounts them into wall sconces. They come in a wide variety of designs, and are the perfect addition to your gameroom. Whether you’re looking for Pac-Man, Asteroids, Moon Patrol, or TRON, they’ve got you covered.

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Prices range from about $85 up to $225(USD) depending on the rarity and cost of the particular marquee. Head on over to their Etsy shop now to check their current stock. Keep in mind that due to the age of these marquees, they’re not all in perfect condition, but that just adds to the arcade-y charm, IMHO.

And if you miss playing the classics, you can always load up some games on your arcade emulator while you admire your shiny new wall light.

The Naked Metal Core of a Dead Planet Is Circling the Sun

The Naked Metal Core of a Dead Planet Is Circling the Sun

You know about those plans to visit an asteroid in the next few years? Well, a select group of astronauts would like to sweeten the deal. Why visit a regular asteroid, when there’s a planet’s solid metal floating up there and it’s likely magnetic?

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Watch a Huge, Newly Discovered Asteroid Almost Graze Earth

This beautiful tracking video shows Asteroid 2013 XY8 buzzing our planet on Tuesday night. It’s estimated to be up to 230 feet across, more than three times the size of the Chelyabinsk asteroid that caused havoc earlier this year. And we only discovered it four days ago. This could’ve gotten hairy.

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Planetary Resources and NASA team up to crowdsource the search for asteroids

Planetary Resources and NASA team up to crowdsource the search for asteroids

Planetary Resources really wants to mine asteroids for valuable materials, but first it has to find them. So the company is partnering with NASA on a crowdsourcing project that would put the American public to work identifying and tracking near-Earth-objects (NEOs). All the data generated will be open sourced and made publicly available on the web. The effort will center on a series of challenges and contests designed to lure in citizen scientists and the results will be reviewed by Planetary Resources. Obviously, the company will be looking for mineable hunks of space rock, but it will also be giving back to the scientific community by using the data it collects to improve algorithms for detecting asteroids. And, obviously, the more of those we’re able to detect and track, the less likely we are to be caught off guard by a meteorite apocalypse. To be notified when the program kicks off, sign up for more info at the Planetary Resources site.

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Source: Planetary Resources

Risk of asteroid hitting Earth is ten times higher than we thought

Risk of asteroid hitting Earth is ten times higher than we thought

This is frightening. Nature just published a study by astronomers who have reanalyzed and recalculated the estimate of asteroids that could hit Earth and it’s a lot worse than we thought. Ten times worse.

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Japan Just Successfully Tested Its Asteroid-Shattering Space Cannon

Japan Just Successfully Tested Its Asteroid-Shattering Space Cannon

You have to crawl before you can walk—be you a baby or an asteroid-blasting space cannon. Now, after a successful test-fire here on Earth, Japan’s specially made cannon for its Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is ready to take its first, real steps in outer space.

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