DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Three new moons discovered orbiting Uranus and Neptune
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers have discovered three previously unknown moons around Uranus and Neptune, the most distant planets in our solar system. In the future, the tiny satellite will be named after a Shakespearean character, in keeping with the tradition of Uranus’ moons bearing literary names. He worked with Marina Brozovic and Bob Jacobson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to determine the moon’s orbit. The outer moons orbiting all the giant planets across our solar system — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — share similar configurations. “Even Uranus, which is tipped on its side, has a similar moon population to the other giant planets orbiting our Sun,” Sheppard said.

Persons: ”, Scott S, Sheppard, Marina Brozovic, Bob Jacobson, Scott Sheppard, David Tholen, Chad Trujillo, Patryk Sofia Lykawka, ” Sheppard, Neptune Organizations: CNN —, Carnegie Institution for Science, Planet, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Carnegie Science, Subaru, University of Hawaii, Northern Arizona University, Kindai University Locations: Chile, Pasadena , California, Kea, Japan, Neptune

☆ NASA explains how it would alert the public of an apocalyptic asteroid strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the event of an impending hazardous asteroid strike, NASA already has its plan in place to alert the public. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is tasked with finding, tracking, and assessing the risk associated with potentially hazardous asteroids in our solar system. To do that, NASA works with a global coalition of astronomers called the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). There are about 2,300 known potentially hazardous asteroids out there, and roughly 153 of them are larger than 0.6 miles across. If Bennu does head toward Earth, NASA has a few tricks up its sleeve to defend our planet.

Persons: —, ROGER HARRIS, ”, Lindley Johnson, ” Johnson, IAWN, Johnson, MARK GARLICK, NASA wouldn’t, they’re Organizations: NASA, Service, Defense, Office, Planetary Defense, Warning, White, United Nations Office, Outer Space Affairs, Minor Planet

☆ A 'fake moon' has been following Earth around the sun since 100 BC, and astronomers just noticed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An asteroid has been trailing Earth around the sun since 100 BC, astronomers estimate. The space rock at first appears to be another moon, but it's actually orbiting the sun and not Earth. That makes this asteroid a "quasi-moon" or "fake moon." Scientists first discovered the space rock, called 2023 FW13, in March using the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii. What makes this fake moon uniqueThe full moon rises behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Persons: Alan Harris, Christian Hartmann, Julius Caesar, That's, Adrien Coffinet, Harris, that's Organizations: Service, Space Science Institute, Sky, Eiffel, Reuters, Minor Planet, International Astronomical Union Locations: Hawaii, Paris, France

☆ A bright comet is heading towards Earth and could outshine the stars in the sky, say astronomers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The last time the comet visited Earth was around 80,000 years ago, astronomers said. It could be as bright or brighter as our stars, and much more brilliant than the recent ZTF green comet that passed the Earth last month. By comparison, the recent Green Comet ZTF had a brightness of around magnitude +4.6 (the lower the magnitude, the brighter), per space.com. Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) taken at NAOJ Mitaka Campus on January 31, 2023. On that occasion, we were lucky and the comet only passed our planet, offering spectacular vistas to onlookers.

☆ China poses increasing threat in military space race, top U.S. general says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Long March-7 Y3 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on May 29, 2021 in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China. Rapid advancements in China's military capabilities pose increasing risks to American supremacy in outer space, the head of the United States military's space wing said on Monday. Nina Armagno, director of staff of the U.S. Space Force, said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology, including in areas such as satellite communications and re-useable spacecraft, which allow countries to rapidly scale up their space programs. Along with Russia, China has also conducted "reckless" missile tests that have created dangerous amounts of space debris in recent years, Armagno said. "These debris fields threatened all of our systems in space, and these systems are vital to all nations' security, economic and scientific interests," she said.

☆ Videos captured a fireball flashing across the Toronto skyline before it struck Earth near Niagara Falls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The object's impact on Earth was predicted, marking the sixth time in history that has occurred. The European Space Agency said such detection technology for small objects is improving. The fireball was captured in several videos, including one that showed it appearing to pass by the city's CN Tower. The European Space Agency said the event marked only the sixth time in history the impact of a space object with Earth was successfully predicted. Mike Hankey of the American Meteor Society told The New York Times its possible meteorites — debris from a space object — from Saturday's event could be discovered near Niagara Falls.

Search resuls for: "Minor Planet"

6 mentions found