If you are like me then you must have had a lot of fun and learned a lot from reading different sources of astronomy news. Thanks to the Internet I am able to read quite a few blogs, online articles and astronomy news stories that others have written. One that caught my eye was an article written by Stargazing Today. This is a blog that targets people who enjoy stargazing as well as giving a lot of information about the stars and what can be done with them. Reading this particular article gave me some great ideas for future articles that I would like to put together.
It starts out by quoting Space. In this one they are taking a look at two different examples of what can happen in space if a giant asteroid is headed towards it. First off the asteroid will impact the planetoid Vesta, which is a very close second planet that lies almost directly between Mars and Venus. They also say that impact will happen in 4.5 days giving us ample time to observe the process in action.
Next, they explain how this will affect the Earths atmosphere. Since Vesta is made up mainly of water, it will cause a global warming which will in turn shift the Earth's orbit making it more like a cometary object. Also, because the asteroid will be traveling through space it will create a large shock wave to Earth and will cause large geothermal imbalances on its surface. This will cause volcanoes on the surface of the asteroid to erupt and change the climate of the region in which it impacts.
These potential catastrophes are interesting to note and can help us improve our space technology. However, these events are not the only ones that we need to be concerned about in outer space. For example, another big topic in astronomy today is the possibility of a collision between two large celestial bodies, one being Comet Shopper.
Comet Shopper is rapidly moving through the inner solar system at a great speed. It has already captured many amateur astronomers' imaginations with its fuzzy color images taken last month. It may very well be the first "comet" to be visible in our sky for many years. Many amateur astronomers are already watching it for possible impact in March.
While all these events are exciting to watch, the most important story in astronomy today concerns another space rock, asteroid 5iscovery. This asteroid is much bigger than many of the other ones we have been involved with. Many professional astronomers are even saying that it is an "asteroid class" separate from the bigger comets. It is quickly losing its outermost edge and will likely collide with Earth sometime in the next ten years. If it survives this collision, it will be interesting to know if it carries a large chunk of ice and oil.
The news article indicates that the US space agency has been involved in mapping the composition of this asteroid. The asteroid has a complex interior containing a mix of metals and saltiness reminiscent of comets. It also has ridges and can become dimmer as it loses mass, similar to many comets.
If you enjoy space, astronomy, or even just spending time online, you are likely very interested in this news article. Astronomy is such an exciting field and getting access to current information through reliable websites is crucial to the field. A blog is a good way to do this. Stargazing Today is one of the best sources for current astronomy news as well as getting an inside look at current and future space missions. Whether you are looking for regular updates or want to learn about a specific space mission, Stargazing Today can deliver a unique perspective, https://www.stargazing.today/