Monday, July 8, 2024

Thanks To Anon., We Have More Near Earth Asteroid Space Science To Offer, This Morning...

This makes a recent trifecta of space themed science spots, here as we await anything material on our main power alley. [Thanks, Anon.!]

Per CNN, then -- the story:

. . .When NASA scientists recently tracked the orbits of two space rocks as they made close approaches of Earth, they discovered a surprise: One of the asteroids has a little moon.

Astronomers regularly track the trajectories of asteroids to ensure that none of them are on a potential collision course with our planet.

While neither of the recent asteroids whizzed by at a concerning distance, the space rocks can yield valuable information that NASA uses to prepare for any potential future collision scenarios. . . .

Astronomers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. . . used [Goldstone, a] planetary radar -- through the Deep Space Network to track and take images of the asteroids.

The Deep Space Network is a system of radio antennae on Earth that helps the agency communicate with spacecraft exploring our solar system and releases radio waves to act as radar across space. . . .


In fact, Goldstone and the rest of the Deep Space Network of radar dishes are the way we stay in communication with now nearly 50 year old Voyager 1 and 2 missions, as well. There you have it -- even the tiniest space bodies, seem occasionally to possess fellow travellers. Shepherded moons, indeed. Grinning. . . .

नमस्ते

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

meanwhile, using the Webb (no, not the internet) we find this: https://www.yahoo.com/news/james-webb-spots-habitable-icy-202137695.html

condor said...

Okay, Anon.! And. . . Big icy but habitable exo-worlds (only 48 light years away, too!) are up next — in the morning.

Out at a thing all night, tonight.

Namaste. . . .