Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
![dinosaurs look on as an asteroid plumets through the sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/syKgwA7NvCzsTZtVcHcHxU-320-80.jpg)
Chicxulub asteroid impact created 2-year cloud of dust that may have killed the dinosaurs
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Rocks formed during the Chicxulub asteroid impact reveal fine dust particles were main drivers of the global winter which led to extinction of 75% of Earth's species.
![An illustration of the Lucy spacecraft and an asteroid against a bluish, starry snippet of space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hYrRXuWbiDq9D7US4AWtB9-320-80.png)
NASA's Lucy probe will fly by asteroid 'Dinkinesh' on Nov. 1. Here's what to expect
By Robert Lea published
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will make its first flyby of an asteroid, zooming past a space rock named Dinkinesh before heading to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter.
![a pile of gems in a dark reflective case](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BYGxDyrPCTXMEGskRSgyG5-320-80.jpg)
Space rocks and asteroid dust are pricey, but these aren’t the most expensive materials used in science
By Chris Impey published
I use moon and Mars rocks in my teaching and have a modest collection of meteorites. I marvel at the fact that I can hold in my hand something that is billions of years old from billions of miles away.
![photo of dark powder and small dark pebbles on a silver metallic surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dm5zNnhjUt2JeSU4QFgVrM-320-80.jpg)
1st public exhibit of OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample to open Nov. 3 at Smithsonian
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The public will get its first direct look at a fragment of the asteroid Bennu when the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History debuts its display of the NASA-returned sample on Nov. 3.
![OSIRIS-REx curation team members at NASA’s Johnson Space Center begin the process of removing and flipping the TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Mechanism) from the avionics deck of the mission's science canister.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/chvQXoYoEieH3FsRjDTbeG-320-80.jpg)
NASA can't open its OSIRIS-REx asteroid capsule yet, but the outside alone holds more than enough samples
By Monisha Ravisetti published
Scientists have confirmed that OSIRIS-REx brought home at least 70.3 grams of material from asteroid Bennu, surpassing its intended goal of 60 grams.
![This artist's concept illustrates an asteroid belt around the bright star Vega. Evidence for this warm ring of debris was found using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, and the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, in which NASA plays an important role.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hiPbMTeJ4nrYR5RRNuhKcX-320-80.jpg)
Nearby asteroid may contain elements 'beyond the periodic table', new study suggests
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Naturally occurring superheavy elements beyond those listed in the periodic table could potentially explain why asteroid 33 Polyhymnia is so dense, new research suggests.
![An illustration of NASA's Lucy spacecraft as it approaches the asteroid Dinkinesh.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sjHxm8X2PTBEi2GPL6Ndd3-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Lucy probe will fly by a 'dinky' asteroid on Nov. 1. Here's what to expect (video)
By Robert Lea published
A new NASA video explains what will happen when the space agency's Lucy probe flies by the space rock Dinkinesh on Nov. 1, in a test ahead of its trek to the Trojan asteroids in Jupiter's orbit.
![A large gray space rock with large craters on the surface and patches of brown material.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UPXTu4zhWN5k7HfKL4P9bP-320-80.jpg)
Metal asteroid Psyche has a ridiculously high 'value.' But what does that even mean?
By Rebecca Sohn published
NASA's upcoming Psyche mission could be incredibly valuable — not only for planetary science but also for the budding asteroid mining industry.
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