Assuming an asteroid is on an imminent collision course with Earth, there are a number of ways we might prevent it. The asteroid could be slowed down, sped up, or by slightly changing its trajectory just enough so that it does not intersect with Earth’s orbit when and where Earth happens to be.
This week in December 1995, NASA launched the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission to better study the sun’s outer corona, solar wind, and even its deep core.
Psychological issues are not something that many of us would ever attribute to an astronaut. Just saying the word astronaut suggests a hardened test pilot or brave modern explorer, not someone facing a psychological issue or challenge.
The phenomenon – first theorized by Albert Einstein – affects the rate at which time passes for objects moving at different speeds. What does this have to do with GPS? The answer relates to how orbits work.
The modern global position system (GPS) has revolutionized the way we locate and navigate everything from the family SUV to the jumbo jets crisscrossing the international airways. As such, we often take this invaluable tool for granted – that is, until we know how it works.
Humanity faces a variety of natural disasters on a daily basis. Volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes claim the lives of roughly 60,000 people every year. And a major disaster – such as a supervolcano eruption – could threaten the continued existence of mankind altogether.
Imagine what it must have been like to try to navigate before satellites and computers before even compasses were invented. For thousands of years, the primary means of navigation was to track the stars and compare their position in the sky to determine where you were. Accuracy was limited.
Few things are as captivating and awe-inspiring as witnessing a meteor shower under perfect atmospheric conditions. Fortunately, Thursday, November 21, stargazers will have an opportunity to do just that.