Latest news with #VirtualTelescopeProject
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Soviet spacecraft returns to Earth. Crashes into Indian Ocean
The European Space Agency is monitoring Cosmos 482's uncontrolled descent. The spacecraft was last spotted on radar over Germany between 12:30 a.m. ET and 2:04 a.m. ET. "We have not received so far any reports on visual direct observations of the final re-entry, or on any impacts on ground," the ESA said. Skywatching: May 2025 full moon is a flower moon and micromoon. Here's when to see it. The EU Space Surveillance and Tracking agency said, "Object Cosmos-482 Descent Craft decayed within the last estimated re-entry window." Scientists had not been concerned about Cosmos 482's return to Earth causing a danger risk to humans because of the craft's small size - about 3 feet in diameter and around 1,190 pounds, reported. The space news site reported that Virtual Telescope Project astronomer Gianluca Masi posted an image of the spacecraft as it passed over Rome early May 10. The probe was "visible as a trail entering the field of view from the top and pointing to the bottom right corner," Masi wrote on his website. What happened to Cosmos 482? Cosmos 482, also known as Kosmos 482, was one of a pair of identical Venus atmospheric lander probes launched by the Soviet Union in 1972. The other spacecraft, Venera 8, arrived at Venus and made scientific measurements of the planet's soil before ceasing operation. According to NASA, Cosmos 482 suffered an apparent launch malfunction and failed to achieve the velocity needed to reach Venus' atmosphere. Cosmos 482 separated into four pieces, two of which remained in Earth's low orbit and decayed within 48 hours, and the other two pieces went into a higher orbit. Contributing: Greta Cross, Eric Lagatta and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Stadium-sized asteroid approaching Earth May 9, how to see in Texas
A stadium-sized asteroid will pass by Earth on Friday, May 9. And if you're interested, you could see it happen in real time, thanks to a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. Known as the main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is not expected to post a threat to Earth during the 2025 flyby, according to NASA. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies who track the long-term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have said it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. With that being said, the Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 2:30 p.m. MT (4:30 p.m. ET), just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. The asteroid is expected to safely come as close as 4.2 million kilometers or 2.6 million miles, according to Gianluca Masi, the founder of The Virtual Telescope Project. Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its Friday, May 9, flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent of 93 million miles (150 million km), the average distance separating Earth and the sun. More: What time is the ETA Aquarids? Here's when to see meteor shower in Texas Source: This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Watch stadium-sized asteroid approach Earth live today on YouTube
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A failed Soviet Venus probe is falling to Earth, and an astronomer will attempt to catch it on camera on May 8
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A Soviet-era spacecraft is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere after over 50 years in orbit, and you may just be able to see it blaze through our skies during a live webcast. Using its robotic telescopes in Manciano, Italy, the Virtual Telescope Project aims to observe the anticipated reentry of the former Soviet Union's Cosmos 482 spacecraft. The probe intended to deliver a descent module to the surface of Venus, but failed to escape low Earth orbit following its launch in 1972. To catch a glimpse of the spacecraft, the Virtual Telescope Project will host a live webcast online, beginning at 11:40 p.m. EDT on May 8 (0340 GMT May 9). You can watch the livestream here on courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project or directly on their WebTV page or YouTube channel. Since its failed launch, the spacecraft's descent module — a heavy, durable object built to survive entry into Venus's atmosphere — has remained in orbit. It has been slowly descending toward Earth and is now expected to reenter the atmosphere around May 10, based on current orbital predictions. However, the high-speed and unpredictable nature of the spacecraft's uncontrolled reentry through Earth's atmosphere makes it challenging to observe. Gianluca Masi, Virtual Telescope Project founder and astronomer, said he "is not sure we will succeed, as this is an extreme task, but we will do our best," in an email to RELATED STORIES: — Old Soviet Venus lander's fall to Earth will be no ordinary space junk crash. Here's why — New images of Soviet Venus lander falling to Earth suggest its parachute may be out — 3 big hunks of space junk crash to Earth every day — and it's only going to get worse The Virtual Telescope Project will need to rely on real-time orbital predictions and trajectory forecasts provided by satellite tracking services to adjust their robotic telescopes accordingly. During reentry, the spacecraft will appear as a bright, fast-moving object, much like a meteor streaking across the sky — that is, if it even falls near an area where it can be seen. Given Cosmos 482 was designed to withstand Venus' harsh conditions, parts of it may survive its trip through the atmosphere and land back down on Earth, experts have said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A stadium-sized asteroid will fly past Earth on May 9, and you can watch it live (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On May 9, a stadium-sized potentially hazardous asteroid will pass by Earth, and you can watch the flyby happen in real time courtesy of a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. The main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is estimated to have a diameter of 950 feet (290 meters) according to NASA, and will pose absolutely no threat to Earth during its 2025 flyby. The Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 4:30 p.m. EDT (20:30 GMT) on May 9, just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the solar system with your own eyes? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. "We did follow-up observations of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8, slowly approaching our planet: on 9 May 2025, it will safely come as close as 4.2 millions of km [(2.6 million miles)] from us, 10.9 times the average lunar distance," wrote Gianluca Masi, founder of The Virtual Telescope Project in a recent blog post. "We will show it live!" Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its May 9 flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent to 93 million miles (150 million km), which is the average distance separating Earth and the sun. NASA scientists believe that there are around 4,700 PHAs whizzing around our solar system, based on observations from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. However, we will likely never see one actually impact our planet's surface. The agency estimates that an asteroid with a diameter of around 500 ft (140 m) impacts Earth just once every 20,000 years, while an asteroid with a diameter of 3,000 ft (1,000 m) collides with our planet once every 700,000 years. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies responsible for tracking the long term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have also stated that it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. That leaves you plenty of time to get to know the night sky! If you want to catch a glimpse of a solar system planet or globular cluster for yourself, then be sure to check out our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals in 2025.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How To See An Asteroid Bigger Than A Football Stadium Come Close On Thursday
Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 will come within 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) of Earth, but ... More beyond the moon (not pictured here in this artist's impression). Getty An asteroid the size of a football stadium will fly safely by Earth on Friday, May 9, 2025, 23 years after its discovery. For such a large object to come close to Earth is rated as a once-per-year event, but it won't pose any threat. The Virtual Telescope Project will show it live at 20:30 UTC (3:30 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 will come within 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) of the planet — about 10.9 times farther than the moon, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles/384,400 kilometers from Earth. That may not sound close — and it certainly poses no danger to Earth — but for an asteroid, this large to come this close is a relatively rare event. Any object that comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth and is larger than 492 feet is capable of causing significant regional damage in the event of impact. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 is 950 feet (290 meters) wide and therefore referred to as a 'potentially hazardous object' by NASA. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 is classed as an Aten asteroid, which means it orbits the sun in less than a year and is often hidden in its glare as seen from Earth but crosses Earth's orbit. The Next Asteroid Close Approach On June 5, 2025, asteroid 424482 (2008 DG5) will come within 2.2 million miles (3.5 million kilometers) of Earth — about 8.4 times farther than the moon. At up to 2,300 feet (700 meters), it's about the size of the Golden Gate Bridge; its close pass is rarer than the 2002 JX8. 2008 DG5 is an Apollo asteroid, which means its orbital pass crosses Earth's. CNEO computes and characterizes the orbits of all known near-Earth objects — asteroids and comets — and predicts their close approaches with Earth. It's a critical part of NASA's Planetary Defense Program. Details of the next five close approaches are published on NASA's Asteroid Watch page. Asteroid YR4 Another near-Earth object, asteroid 2024 YR4, hit the headlines earlier this year when astronomers calculated that it would strike Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. Discovered on Dec. 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Chile, 2024 YR4 measures about 130 to 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) in diameter. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies updated the asteroid's impact probability to 3.1%, the highest ever recorded for an object of this size, but after hundreds of observations on Feb. 24, it reduced this probability to almost zero. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
