asteroids

A newly formed crater named McGetchin has been spotted on the Moon, created between April 11 and May 22, 2024, when an asteroid or comet roughly the size of a multi-story building struck the lunar surface. The crater measures about 222 meters wide and 43 meters deep, and astronomers note it is among the larger fresh impacts recorded in recent years.

SETI Institute volcanologist Dr. Kayla Iacovino appeared on NewsNation to explain what a Yellowstone super-eruption would actually mean for the planet. She described the event as so large that its global effects could be comparable to those of a major asteroid impact, prompting fresh public discussion about the supervolcano's potential consequences.

Asteroid 2026 SA8, estimated at 5-9 metres across, is due to pass Earth on 28 September 2026 at 06:45 UTC, coming within about 379,868 km — just inside the Moon's average distance. The roughly 6.6 km/s object is one of several small near-Earth asteroids being tracked for close approaches in recent and coming days.

NPR's weekly science roundup highlights three stories: research on unusually loud birds, findings on how eating in company affects people, and new insights from asteroid samples. The roundup packages recent studies and discoveries into one digest for listeners. Reaction details beyond the broadcast summary are limited, but it fits the pattern of news outlets offering accessible weekly recaps of scientific research.

NPR's weekly science roundup highlights three stories: unusually loud birds, research on how eating with company affects us, and new findings from asteroid samples. The roundup gathers recent developments in nature, behavior, and space research into a single digest for general readers.

Policy design notes aimed at project teams are examining how taxation should work for space mining ventures operating beyond Earth's jurisdiction. The discussion highlights the unresolved question of how governments will tax resources extracted from asteroids, the Moon or other celestial bodies, and what frameworks companies will need to comply with as commercial space mining moves closer to reality.

Web station QWRT Radio is currently airing the track 'Asteroid' by Benten and invited listeners to tune in via its online stream. The announcement went out under its regular now-playing updates, pointing listeners to radio.qwrt.online to hear the song live.

New commentary suggests asteroid Bennu, a near-Earth object studied closely by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, may not fit neatly into existing asteroid classifications, with Jupiter's gravitational influence over time a possible cause. The discussion has drawn attention among space enthusiasts wondering how giant planets reshaped the paths and makeup of small bodies in the solar system.

Japan's Hayabusa2 asteroid probe has lost the last of its functioning engines, leaving the spacecraft without a propulsion system. The probe, which already returned samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth, was on an extended mission. JAXA is expected to assess the failure and weigh options for the craft's future, with the exact impact on its remaining scientific goals still to be confirmed.