Solar System - Small bodies of Solar System Topics
Great Expectations
1998 — April 6, 2011
On the morning of November 17th, bits and pieces of periodic comet Temple-Tuttle will begin to hurtle into Earth's atmosphere at a head-spinning 158,000 mph. The resultant Leonids' sky show may rival the brilliant storm of 1966 in some locations on Earth.
The Mysterious Geminid Meteor Shower
1998 — April 6, 2011
On December 13, 1998, fragments of a curious object called 3200 Phaethon may produce a beautiful sky show
Leonids Sample Return payload has been found
1998 — April 6, 2011
Scientists are examining the aerogel 'comet-catcher' for traces of Leonid meteoroids.
The Tunguska Impact--100 Years Later
2008 — April 6, 2011
One hundred years after the Tunguska event in Siberia, scientists review what they've learned about the mysterious blast from the heavens.
Mini-CometsApproaching Earth
2006 — Sept. 20, 2011
A cometary "string-of-pearls" will fly past Earth in May 2006 giving astronomers a fantastic view of a comet in its death throes.
In Search of Crater Chains
2006 — April 6, 2011
What happens when a fragmented comet hits the surface of a planet? It makes a chain of craters. Researchers are looking for evidence of these crater chains here on Earth.
Corkscrew Asteroids
2006 — April 6, 2011
A tiny asteroid corkscrewing around Earth for the past seven years is about to leave the neighborhood.
Bright Asteroid
2001 — April 6, 2011
A big and bright near-Earth asteroid will glide by our planet on Dec. 16th within easy range of powerful radars and backyard telescopes.
Comet Borrelly Revealed
2001 — April 6, 2011
Against all odds, NASA's Deep Space 1not only survived its daring encounter with Comet Borrelly but also returned stunning pictures of the comet's hidden nucleus.
Weird Geminids
2001 — April 6, 2011
What are the Geminid meteors? Scientists aren't sure. Perhaps chips off an exotic asteroid or dust from an extinct comet. In either case, they'll soon be here.