Asteroids
Latest about Asteroids
![An illustration of the asteroid Ryugu making a close approach to Earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bzWxViaiTSAqsYUT5sT7wQ-320-80.jpg)
Newly discovered asteroid zooms within 2,500 miles of Earth
By Tereza Pultarova published
A newly discovered space rock about 6.5 feet wide (2 meters) zipped past Earth today at a distance five times closer than GPS satellites orbit.
![This artist concept catastrophic collisions between asteroids located in the belt between Mars and Jupiter and how they have formed families of objects on similar orbits around the sun.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rw9uGuTaEqH9mwgWTGXZkE-320-80.jpg)
How many potentially dangerous asteroids narrowly miss Earth each year?
By Steven Tingay published
Last year Earth had more than 100 close encounters with large asteroids. What are the odds of a direct hit in the near future?
![Images from the Atlas survey showing the potentially hazardous asteroid 2022 SF289 marked by red boxes](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5sQFmnKTWeysBzQoMLCUJH-320-80.png)
AI algorithm discovers 'potentially hazardous' asteroid 600 feet wide in a 1st for astronomy
By Robert Lea published
A new AI algorithm programmed to hunt for potentially dangerous near-Earth asteroids has spotted its first space rock.
![Asteroid exploding in space into lots of little pieces.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b8YcxbgMHB3KLCJLAjvg94-320-80.jpg)
How long can an asteroid 'survive'?
By Joanna Thompson published
Asteroids are left over from the early solar system. Here's how they get destroyed.
![An artist's depiction of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gzczfD29Np5Xs7UhgjCnfB-320-80.jpg)
Asteroid collisions may be responsible for mysteriously magnetic meteorites on Earth
By Rahul Rao published
By modeling meteorite collisions, scientists from Yale University may have finally solved the puzzle of why some space rocks have unexpected magnetic fields.
![asteroids graphic illustration of deep space asteroid with a galaxy in the distance.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RNNjPzLea8W4L2EAMwjzPT-320-80.jpg)
What are asteroids?
By Robert Lea last updated
Reference Asteroids are relics from the birth of our solar system and provide us with a window into our cosmic neighborhood's violent past.
![an illustration of the orbits of the solar system bodies including an asteroid named "200009Joerao"](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VPYxRnJrMgrsMczCYqG5MP-320-80.jpg)
What's it like to have an asteroid named after you? Our night sky columnist Joe Rao explains
By Brett Tingley published
Space.com's night sky columnist Joe Rao explains what it was like to have asteroid 200009 Joerao named after him for his many years of astronomy outreach with the general public.
![a flat rock backlit by the distant sun](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RYLSC8bi6YWcWAj9xvWZeF-320-80.jpg)
Where did the interstellar object 'Oumuamua come from? Its speed could tell us
By Keith Cooper published
The velocity of interstellar objects passing through our solar system, like 'Oumuamua, can be correlated to their chemistry and the type of star they came from.
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