Latest news with #GeminiSouth
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the day for July 14, 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A recent unexpected frost graced high-altitude peaks in Chile, dusting the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope with a delicate layer of snow. What is it? The 13.4 foot (4.1 meter) telescope has been a major hub for researchers in the Southern Hemisphere using optical and near-infrared astronomy to study the stars. According to NOIRLab, the telescope was initiated in 1987 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It's run by an international consortium which includes Brazil, Chile, Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina. Only a short distance away on the same peak is the Gemini South telescope, which also looks at the stars in both visible and infrared wavelengths. Where is it? The SOAR Telescope sits on the peak of Cerro Pachón, part of the Chilean Andes mountain range. Why is it amazing? Recently, a rare winter storm swept across the Atacama desert, bringing snow to the driest place on Earth. While the event created a beautiful landscape, its impact varied among the observatories located in the remote part of Chile. For the SOAR telescope, high up in the Chilean Andes, the snow was a gentle dusting that coated the observatory, making for some stunning images. However, lower down in elevation, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) facility at Chajnantor Plateu faced more severe conditions, forcing all scientific operations to be suspended since June 26, 2025. ALMA's remote location and reliance on sensitive electronics made it especially vulnerable to weather extremes, even brief ones. Want to learn more? You can read more about telescopes like SOAR and astronomy happening in the Atacama desert. Solve the daily Crossword
India Today
11-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Chances of city-killer asteroid crashing on the Moon just went up
Astronomers observing the Asteroid 2024 YR4 have raised the probability of its crashing on the Moon as it becomes James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. Analysis has now raised its probability of impacting the Moon from 3.8% to 4.3%.When the asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and Estimated to be about 130 to 300 feet wide, Asteroid 2024 YR4 grabbed the attention of astronomers when it rose on the NASA automated Sentry risk list on December 31, 2024. This list includes any known near-Earth asteroids that have a non-zero probability of impacting Earth in the watch!Webb was able to help refine, by nearly 20%, our knowledge of the asteroid 2024 YR4's orbit, and the (super tiny) odds of it impacting the Moon in 2032. NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) June 5, 2025Astronomers have also constructed a 3D model of asteroid 2024 YR4 using observations conducted by the Gemini South telescope in team acknowledged that the unusually-shaped rock is one of the largest objects in recent history that could impact the Moon and that it likely originated from the main asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when the asteroid's orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.," the team said in their data has improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on Dec. 22, 2032, by nearly 20%.In a paper, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team had noted that the asteroid has a diameter of about 30–65 meters (98–213 feet). The analysis also revealed that the asteroid has a rapid rotation period of approximately one rotation per 20 minutes, as well as an unusual hockey-puck-like team determined that 2024 YR4 most likely originated from the main asteroid belt, with a high probability of being perturbed into its current near-Earth orbit by gravitational interactions with Jupiter.
Forbes
12-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
‘Earth Crosser' Asteroid May Now Strike The Moon, Scientists Say
An artist's illustration of 2024 YR4 Asteroid 2024 YR4, until recently thought to have a chance of striking Earth on December 22, 2032, could now be headed for the moon instead, according to new data. After new observations, 2024 YR4 is thought to have a diameter of about 98–213 feet (30–65 meters). The James Webb Space Telescope studied it in March and found it to be about 197 feet (60 meters). That's about the same width as a football field. The stony asteroid — first discovered on December 27, 2024, when it was passing just 1.5 million miles (2.5 million kilometers) — is one of the largest objects in recent history that could impact the moon, according to a paper accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. A lunar impact would be a book for scientists, who know little about the relationship between the size of an asteroid and the size of its resulting impact crater — despite the moon being covered in craters. 'If it does, it will give scientists a rare chance to study how the size of an asteroid relates to the size of the crater it creates — something we haven't been able to measure directly before," said Bryce Bolin, the lead author. For now, there's a roughly 2% chance YR4 could collide with the moon. An artist's illustration of 2024 YR4 in relation to Earth. Data from the Gemini South Observatory in Chile and the Keck Observatory in Arizona revealed that the asteroid rapidly rotates backward and may be shaped like a hockey puck. 'This find was rather unexpected since most asteroids are thought to be shaped like potatoes or toy tops rather than flat disks,' said Bolin. '2024 YR4 is a solid rock, likely chipped off from a larger rubble-pile asteroid in the central Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter." That 2024 YR4 appears to come from the main asteroid belt is a surprise. 'This region was not previously known to produce asteroids on Earth-crossing paths,' said Bolin. It's thought that gravitational interactions with Jupiter have forced it into the vicinity of Earth. This composite image of asteroid 2024 YR4 was captured with the Gemini South telescope in Chile. 2024 YR4 came to prominence in late January 2025 when the International Asteroid Warning Network placed the asteroid on its watch list after calculations of its orbit suggested it had over a 1% probability of hitting Earth in 2032. However, more calculations showed that it had dropped below 1% by late February. At the end of February, NASA announced that the chances of 2024 YR4 striking Earth during a close pass in 2032 were near zero. 'Studying this asteroid was vitally important in understanding the population of Earth crossers that have the potential to be Earth impactors and are poorly understood," said Bolin. This is a still from an animation showing asteroid 2024 YR4 as it passes by Earth and heads toward ... More its potential impact with the Moon. The news about 2024 YR4 comes as astronomers prepare for a very close pass of a much larger asteroid, 99942 Apophis, in exactly four years. The 1,100-foot (340-meter) wide asteroid will get to within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029, creating a once-in-a-thousands-year opportunity for science. It will be so close that it will be seen eyed by observers across Western Europe and Western Africa. When Apophis was discovered in 2004, scientists calculated it might strike Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068 — hence its "God of Chaos" nickname. NASA and the European Space Agency will send spacecraft to orbit Apophis before, during and after its close pass, just in case its trajectory changes and it becomes Earth-bound. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
That 'city-killer' asteroid has surprised scientists yet again with its 'unusual' shape, and it could smash straight into the moon
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have revealed the unusual shape of a large asteroid with the potential to smack into the moon in the year 2032, according to new research. Asteroid 2024 YR4 sparked a flurry of interest earlier this year after NASA determined there was a chance it could hit Earth. The risk of an Earth impact has since dropped to zero, but there's still a slim chance 2024 YR4 could hit the moon in 2032 — 3.8% likelihood as of early April. A team of astronomers recently studied the asteroid in more detail using the Gemini South telescope in Chile. The researchers found that 2024 YR4 likely came from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and has an unusually flat, disk-like shape, similar to a hockey puck, according to a statement released by the National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab). "This find was rather unexpected since most asteroids are thought to be shaped like potatoes or toy tops rather than flat disks," study lead author Bryce Bolin, a research Scientist at Eureka Scientific, a California-based astrophysics and astronomy research corporation, said in the statement. The researchers posted their findings to the preprint database arXiv, and will soon publish them in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Related: 'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come Astronomers discovered the asteroid 2024 YR4 in December 2024, hence the "2024" in its name. In February, the likelihood of 2024 YRY hitting Earth in 2032 rose to 1 in 32, or 3.1%, which was the highest impact probability NASA had ever recorded for a space object of 2024 YR4's size or larger. However, astronomers always expected the threat level to drop once they learned more about 2024 YRY's trajectory. Within days, the likelihood plummeted to effectively zero, and has a 0.00078% chance of hitting Earth in 2032 at the time of writing. However, there remains a risk for the moon — not that the asteroid would significantly damage the moon even if it does hit. For the new study, researchers captured images of the space rock at different wavelengths of light. The team used 2024 YRY's pattern of light output over time, or lightcurve, to study the asteroid's shape, composition and orbital characteristics, according to the statement. From the rock's reflective pattern, the researchers concluded that 2024 YR4 is likely an S-type asteroid, which means it is rich in silicates — a class of minerals that includes quartz. The team also determined that the asteroid is rotating very fast, about once every 20 minutes, and estimated its size to be 98 to 213 feet (30 to 65 meters) wide, according to the study. RELATED STORIES —Watch potential 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 as it hurtles through space —Enormous, mountain-size asteroid will be visible from Earth this weekend in rare 'once in a decade' event —Potentially hazardous asteroids: How many dangerous space rocks lurk near Earth — and can we stop them? Researchers have been trying to accurately calculate the size of 2024 YR4 since its discovery, and this latest approximation is similar to previous estimates. Recent data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggested it could be slightly larger, 174 to 220 feet (53 to 67 meters), Live Science previously reported. 2024 YR4 is one of the largest objects in recent history with the potential to strike the moon, according to the statement. Back when there was a rising likelihood of 2024 YR4 hitting Earth, it was dubbed a potential "city killer" because it was large enough to wipe out a major city. While unlikely, a lunar impact would provide researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to study how the size of an asteroid relates to the size of the crater it creates, according to the statement.
Forbes
09-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Moon-Threatening Asteroid Has Weird Shape, Scientists Say
Asteroid 2024 YR4's star has faded when it comes to the general public, but scientists are pumped to be learning more about it. The space rock reached celebrity status earlier this year when initial data showed it had a small chance of striking Earth in 2032. Further observations ruled out the scary scenario—but the moon is still in play. Now we know more about the famous asteroid. Scientists teamed up to study the asteroid and discovered some surprising information about its possible origin and shape. 'Studying this asteroid was vitally important in understanding the population of Earth crossers that have the potential to be Earth impactors and are poorly understood,' said astronomer Bryce Bolin of Eureka Scientific in a statement on April 8. Bolin is the lead author of a paper on the asteroid set to be published in 'The Astrophysical Journal Letters.' Bolin and his colleagues used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to image the asteroid. 'Detailed analysis of the asteroid's lightcurve (pattern of light output in time) allowed the team to determine its composition, orbital characteristics and 3D shape,' the United States National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory said. The asteroid likely came from the solar system's main asteroid belt, a region between Mars and Jupiter. It's quite the hot hangout for asteroids, with NASA estimating it contains between 1.1 and 1.9 million asteroids larger than 0.6 miles in diameter—and many more smaller ones. 'We are a bit surprised about its origin in the central main asteroid belt, which is a location in the asteroid belt that we did not think many Earth-crossing asteroids could originate from,' said Bolin. The asteroid has a fast rotation of only about 20 minutes. The data shows YR4 has a shape reminiscent of a hockey puck. That qualifies as another surprise. 'This find was rather unexpected since most asteroids are thought to be shaped like potatoes or toy tops rather than flat disks,' Bolin said. The W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii also got in on the asteroid fun and contributed data to the team's paper. Keck's ability to see in infrared helped the researchers study the asteroid's composition. It's likely made of solid rock. Larger asteroids are often called 'rubble piles' since they're conglomerates of rock fragments. Asteroid YR4 may have once been a boulder on one of those larger asteroids. Whether an asteroid is solid or a rubble pile makes a difference when it comes to planetary defense. That's crucial information that could help with planning a mission like NASA's DART test. DART involved crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid to alter its orbit. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first spotted in December. There had been some uncertainty about the asteroid's size, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope turned its powerful instruments on the rock and found it measured in at about 200 feet wide, roughly the size of a 15-story building. That's within the initial estimates of between 130 and 300 feet wide. At one point, early observations suggested 2024 YR4 had a 3.1% chance of impacting Earth. As more data came in, researchers revised that down to near zero. However, the asteroid now has a 3.8% chance of impacting the moon on Dec. 22, 2032. Don't worry about the moon, though. 'In the small chance that the asteroid were to impact, it would not alter the moon's orbit,' NASA said in a statement on April 2. If YR4 does smack into the moon, it will be a thrilling time for astronomers. It would 'provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the relationship between the size of an asteroid and the size of its resulting impact crater—a previously unknown quantity,' NOIRLab said. Researchers aren't done with YR4 yet. Webb is set to check it out again in late April or early May, even as the asteroid becomes too far away and too faint for ground-based telescopes to make observations. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer a big mystery. Its composition, size, shape and origin are better understood. We can also breathe a sigh of relief that it won't be barreling into our planet in 2032. The moon, however, may need to brace for impact. We'll know even more as scientists continue to study the space rock.
