DailyDirt: Asteroids Are Not Just An 80s Video Game

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Dwarf planets and other rocky space objects have been in the news recently, thanks to the New Horizons spacecraft flying by Pluto. Rocky space objects much closer to the Earth are getting some attention, too, especially after the Chelyabinsk meteor exploded over Russia in 2013. No one saw that one coming, and a bigger rock would have done a lot more damage. Near-Earth space objects are literally all around us, so check out the links below if you have any instinct for self-preservation interest in naturally-occurring space rocks.

• Planetary Resources recently launched its A3R satellite from the International Space Station, and it plans to demonstrate its ability to detect valuable space resources for future space mining operations. Prospecting resource-rich asteroids could take a while to find suitable near-Earth space rocks, and there are lots of asteroids out there. [url]
• The Earth has one moon, right? But we also have at least one resonant asteroid (2014 OL₃₃₉). This asteroid has an orbit that coincides with our planet's orbit. It won't collide with us, and there are a few other asteroids that appear to be quasi-satellites for our planet, too. Asteroids like these could be easier to visit than the moon, and they might become desirable rest stops on the way to other places in our solar system. [url]
• Asteroid hunting software developed by NASA and Planetary Resources combines several algorithms submitted to the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge. Anyone can help identify dangerous asteroids that are headed our way, even though it might not be enough to prevent an impact. [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: 2014 ol339, a3r satellite, asteroid data hunter, asteroid mining, asteroids, chelyabinsk meteor, iss, moon, resonant asteroid, satellites, space, space objects
Companies: nasa, planetary resources