The Sky Tonight

June 15, 2016

Small Asteroid Is Earth's Constant Companion
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 16, 2016
A small asteroid has been discovered in an orbit around the sun that keeps it as a constant companion of Earth, and it will remain so for centuries to come. As it orbits the sun, this new asteroid, designated 2016 HO3, appears to circle around Earth as well. It is too distant to be considered a true satellite of our planet, but it is the best and most stable example to date of a near-Earth companion, or "quasi-satellite." "Since 2016 HO3 loops around our planet, but never ventures very far a ... read more

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Clouds, haze cause astronomers to overestimate size of exoplanets New research suggests the size of exoplanets may be routinely overestimated, and clouds, scientists say, are to blame. ... more		Smaller Stars Pack Big X-ray Punch for Would-Be Planets Young stars much less massive than the Sun can unleash a torrent of X-ray radiation that can significantly shorten the lifetime of planet-forming disks surrounding these stars. This result comes fro ... more		Gamers Tackle Virtual Asteroid Sampling Mission Mission: Build a replica of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and successfully return an asteroid sample to Earth. That's the challenge OSIRIS-REx Project Scientist Jason Dworkin of NASA's Goddard Space Fli ... more
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Scientists reconstruct the history of asteroid collisions

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Wasteful galaxies launch heavy elements into surrounding halos and deep space

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Orbit Logic Awarded Air Force Space Situational Awareness Contract

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Luxembourg takes first steps to asteroid mining law

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