Sign Up for Our Amazing Newsletter!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Posts by
Eddie Irizarry
Comet Leonard in the evening sky
The first comet to be found in 2021 was Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1). It's now the brightest and best comet of this year! Charts and more here.
December 20, 2021
$5-billion asteroid Nereus flies by December 11
Asteroid Nereus will pass Earth at about 10 lunar distances on December 11, 2021. Scientists will study it. Its potential value is $5 billion in precious metals.
December 10, 2021
Heads up! Famous comet 67P/C-G nearly closest
Famous comet 67P/C-G will sweep closest to Earth in November. Finder charts help you locate this comet before it leaves for another 193 years.
October 26, 2021
Asteroid 2021 SG came from the sun’s direction
Asteroid 2021 SG - 4 times the diameter of 2013's Chelyabinsk meteor - passed near Earth without being previously detected on September 16, 2021.
September 20, 2021
Small asteroid skimmed close to Earth, hours after discovery
A small asteroid skimmed close to Earth on September 7, 2021. Asteroid 2021 RS2 passed less than 10,000 miles (about 15,000 km) away.
September 8, 2021
1,001st near-Earth asteroid glimpsed with radar
The 1,001st near-Earth asteroid observed with planetary radar is 2016 AJ193. Scientists caught it with NASA's Goldstone antenna in late August 2021.
September 4, 2021
Heads up! Close asteroid pass August 21
Close asteroid pass August 21, 2021. This fast-moving asteroid is designed 2016 AJ193. It's currently rushing inward toward the sun. It will not strike Earth.
August 20, 2021
Heads up! Small asteroid to pass very close on April 12
Small asteroid 2021 GW4 will pass extremely close to Earth on Monday, April 12, 2021. It'll pass just 12,313 miles (19,816 km) from Earth's surface, or about 5% the Earth-moon distance.
April 11, 2021
2001 FO32: Big asteroid sweeps closest this weekend
When the asteroid labeled 2001 FO32 sweeps closest to Earth on March 21, 2021, it'll be moving at such a fast pace that observers using telescopes might be able to detect its motion - its drift in front of the stars - in real time. Charts and info here.
March 19, 2021
Say goodbye to Earth’s mini-moon on February 1 and 2
In November, a new mini-moon began orbiting Earth. NASA later confirmed it's a lost-and-found 60s-era rocket from the Surveyor 2 moon mission, launched more than 50 years ago. Now the object - SO 2020 - is coming close again for one last time. Here's how to see it!
January 28, 2021
