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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You know about those plans to visit an asteroid
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
Planetary Resources and NASA team up to crowdsource the search for asteroids
Posted in: Today's ChiliPlanetary 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.
Filed under: Science, Internet
Source: Planetary Resources
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.
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