But experts say the asteroid was an important milestone in planetary defense research. Though there are hundreds of moons in our solar system, our planet only has one. And while thousands of ...

Beginning Sunday, Earth's skies will soon have a temporary visitor. On September 29, an asteroid dubbed 2024 PT5 will become a "mini-moon" of sorts, temporarily entering Earth's orbit for almost ...

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election The 10m-wide asteroid, dubbed 2024 PT5, will become a ...

It's well known that the reign of the dinosaurs came to an end when a giant asteroid smashed into Earth 66 million years ago. But a new study suggests that this huge asteroid wasn't alone.

Earth will be hosting a "mini-moon" starting this weekend. Also sometimes called a "second moon," the small asteroid will rotate Earth for several months. The existence of the asteroid ...

"Understanding how different asteroid materials vaporize and deflect will be critical for preparing for a planetary defense mission, should the need arise." When asteroids hurtle towards Earth in ...

Robin George Andrews, author of "How to Kill an Asteroid," joins The Excerpt to discuss how scientists are working to literally save the planet. Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast ...

The results show that X-rays could play an even bigger role than the initial shock wave itself, though more data needs to be gathered to form a comprehensive asteroid defense plan. Some 66 million ...

According to experiments and computer simulations, the radiation of a nuclear blast could be enough to change the trajectory of an asteroid threatening Earth—if spotted in time. About 66 million ...

Millions of asteroids are floating around in space. Find out what you know about these relics of our solar system. (Jungmin Ryu for The Washington Post) Warning: This ...

But you can still use a nuclear weapon's radiation to vaporize part of the asteroid's surface, creating a very temporary, very hot atmosphere on one side of the asteroid. This should create enough ...