Latest news with #Harvard-SmithsonianCenterforAstrophysics
Sharjah 24
08-06-2025
- Science
- Sharjah 24
Scientists rule out 'Planet X' in most suspected sky regions
Extensive survey with PAN-STARRS1 Telescope The findings come from a comprehensive survey of the outer solar system using the PAN-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. The results were published on the preprint server Broad search yields hundreds of small celestial bodies Led by Matthew Holman of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the team conducted one of the most extensive searches to date for distant planetary objects. They identified 692 small celestial bodies, including 23 dwarf planets and 109 newly discovered objects. No trace of Planet X found Despite the wide-ranging search, no sign of a large ninth planet was detected. However, the survey significantly narrowed the potential location where Planet X could still exist. Innovative detection method The team developed a specialised algorithm to analyze images from 2009 to 2017. The PAN-STARRS1 telescope, typically used to detect fast-moving objects like asteroids, was repurposed to identify slow-moving bodies far from the Sun—those located at 80 AU or more. By cross-referencing known asteroid paths, the algorithm tracked motion in the distant solar system, but found no evidence of Planet X. Remaining search area near Milky Way plane The only region left unexamined is a narrow area near the plane of the Milky Way, which PAN-STARRS1 has not yet surveyed in detail due to the density of stars and dust. This region remains the final candidate for Planet X's possible location. Background: The Planet X hypothesis Interest in Planet X surged in 2016 after scientists Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown proposed its existence. They suggested a Neptune-sized planet orbiting far beyond Pluto, at distances of at least 670 AU from the Sun. Scientific debate continues Despite multiple searches, no direct observation of Planet X has been made. This has led some astronomers to question its existence and investigate alternative explanations for the unusual gravitational patterns in the outer solar system.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Failed Soviet spacecraft could crash to Earth this week — here's where it might hit (map)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A failed Soviet spacecraft that was mistakenly trapped in Earth orbit more than 50 years ago is expected to finally crash back to our planet this week. Experts predict that the spacecraft, called the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft, will make its final, fiery plunge through the atmosphere sometime between May 8 and May 12, traveling at an estimated speed of 150 mph (242 km/h) as it careens through the sky like a meteor. Built to withstand a trip through the dense atmosphere of Venus, the 3-foot-wide (1 meter), 1,091 pound (495 kilograms) lander is likely to stay in one piece as it falls to Earth like a cosmic cannonball. But where will Kosmos 482 land, and are any major cities in its potential path? Unfortunately, at the moment, nobody knows for sure where Kosmos 482 will hit — and its potential landing area covers most of the planet. Given the satellite's current orbit, it could ultimately land anywhere between 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south latitude, Marco Langbroek, a lecturer in space situational awareness at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands who discovered the lander's imminent return, wrote in a blog post. Here's what that area looks like, shown in orange on the map below: The projected landing zone encompasses an enormous area on both sides of the equator. This broad swath includes the entire continental United States, all of South America, Africa and Australia, and most of Europe and Asia south of the Arctic Circle. (The Arctic Circle begins just above 66 degrees north latitude). Virtually every major city on Earth, from New York to London to Beijing, falls within this zone. That sounds bad — but you shouldn't worry: The odds of the runaway Kosmos spacecraft hitting any given populated area are exceptionally slim. With roughly 71% of our planet's surface covered in water, it is overwhelmingly likely that Kosmos 482 will land in the ocean, as most pieces of deorbited space debris do. Related: Doomed Soviet spacecraft tumbling toward Earth may already have its parachute out, new images hint The odds of the spacecraft falling directly onto your head are probably "the usual one-in-several-thousand chance" associated with falling space debris, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote in a blog post. Experts won't be able to narrow down Kosmos 482's potential landing zone until it actually begins its descent through the atmosphere, which is currently predicted to happen on May 10, give or take a couple days. The Kosmos 482 probe was made and launched by the U.S.S.R. in 1972 as part of the Soviet Union's Venera program to explore Venus. The program achieved success with the Venera 7 and 8 probes, which were the first two spacecraft to successfully land on Venus in 1970 and 1972, respectively. Kosmos 482 was built as a sister probe to Venera 8. But due to a malfunction with the Soyuz rocket that lofted Kosmos 482 into space, the probe failed to achieve enough velocity to reach Venus, instead settling into an elliptical orbit around Earth. RELATED STORIES —How do tiny pieces of space junk cause incredible damage? —Space junk: How broken satellites are creating a garbage crisis in the sky —It's time to clean up space junk before orbits become 'unusable,' according to new ESA report Soon after its botched launch, Kosmos 482 broke into several pieces. The probe's main body reentered Earth's atmosphere on May 5, 1981, while the Descent Craft remained in its unintended orbit for almost 53 years — until now. Kosmos 482 is just one of more than 1.2 million pieces of space debris measuring larger than 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) in size, and one of roughly 50,000 pieces of space junk measuring more than 4 inches (10 cm), according to a recent report from the European Space Agency (ESA). Orbital collisions and uncontrolled reentries are becoming increasingly common, with "intact satellites or rocket bodies … now re-entering the Earth atmosphere on average more than three times a day," according to the ESA report.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Failed Soviet-era spacecraft expected to crash back to Earth within days
A failed Soviet-era spacecraft that became trapped in Earth's orbit by mistake more than 50 years ago is expected to crash back down onto the planet in a matter of days, according to space experts. Cosmos 482 was launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Union's Venera program, which intended to explore Venus, according to NASA. The unmanned spacecraft experienced a successful initial launch on March 31, 1972, and temporarily orbited Earth. However, it did not achieve sufficient velocity to launch into a Venus transfer trajectory, NASA said, and the payload -- or the portion of the craft significantly related to the craft's primary mission -- was unable to exit Earth's orbit. MORE: SpaceX loses another Starship in latest launch, with debris seen streaking across the sky Astronomers hypothesize that a malfunction on a timer caused the engine to burn prematurely, NASA said. The spacecraft then broke into four pieces. Two of the pieces, which remained in low orbit, decayed within 48 hours. Orbital decay refers to an incremental decrease in altitude, gradually closing a craft's distance to Earth, according to NASA. The other two pieces -- including the large lander probe -- became stuck in Earth's higher orbit. It has experienced orbital decay for decades, NASA said, and that decay has brought it close enough to reenter the planet's atmosphere around May 10. Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus' atmosphere -- which is 90 times denser than Earth's -- it is possible that parts of it could survive reentry and continue onward to the planet's surface, according to NASA. The risk of Cosmos 482 striking people on the ground is low -- but not impossible, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote on his website last month. "No need for major concern, but you wouldn't want it bashing you on the head," McDowell wrote. PHOTO: Venus is shown in this undated NASA image. (NASA) MORE: Falling space debris is increasingly threatening airplanes, researchers say The lander probe is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere between Friday and Sunday, NASA said. The craft is about 3.2 feet across and weighs about 1,100 pounds. As of Tuesday, the landing location was estimated to be anywhere between 52 N and 52 S latitude. This large swath contains the United States, as well as most of the continents on Earth. The time and location of a return to Earth will likely be predicted more accurately as reentry nears, according to NASA. PHOTO: A world map shows the possible crash zone of Kosmos 482. (ABC News Photo Illustration) MORE: NASA confirms International Space Station object crashed through home in Naples, Florida Astronomers are increasingly monitoring space junk left near Earth during launches of satellites and other spacecraft. There are currently more than 1.2 million known pieces of space debris, 50,000 of which measure more than 4 inches across, according to a 2025 report by the European Space Agency. "Even if we created no new space debris, it would not be enough to prevent a runaway series of collisions and fragmentations," the ESA said in a statement. Failed Soviet-era spacecraft expected to crash back to Earth within days originally appeared on
07-05-2025
- Science
Failed Soviet-era spacecraft expected to crash back to Earth within days
A failed Soviet-era spacecraft that became trapped in Earth's orbit by mistake more than 50 years ago is expected to crash back down onto the planet in a matter of days, according to space experts. Cosmos 482 was launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Union's Venera program, which intended to explore Venus, according to NASA. The unmanned spacecraft experienced a successful initial launch on March 31, 1972, and temporarily orbited Earth. However, it did not achieve sufficient velocity to launch into a Venus transfer trajectory, NASA said, and the payload -- or the portion of the craft significantly related to the craft's primary mission -- was unable to exit Earth's orbit. Astronomers hypothesize that a malfunction on a timer caused the engine to burn prematurely, NASA said. The spacecraft then broke into four pieces. Two of the pieces, which remained in low orbit, decayed within 48 hours. Orbital decay refers to an incremental decrease in altitude, gradually closing a craft's distance to Earth, according to NASA. The other two pieces -- including the large lander probe -- became stuck in Earth's higher orbit. It has experienced orbital decay for decades, NASA said, and that decay has brought it close enough to reenter the planet's atmosphere around May 10. Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus' atmosphere -- which is 90 times denser than Earth's -- it is possible that parts of it could survive reentry and continue onward to the planet's surface, according to NASA. The risk of Cosmos 482 striking people on the ground is low -- but not impossible, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote on his website last month. "No need for major concern, but you wouldn't want it bashing you on the head," McDowell wrote. The lander probe is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere between Friday and Sunday, NASA said. The craft is about 3.2 feet across and weighs about 1,100 pounds. As of Tuesday, the landing location was estimated to be anywhere between 52 N and 52 S latitude. This large swath contains the United States, as well as most of the continents on Earth. The time and location of a return to Earth will likely be predicted more accurately as reentry nears, according to NASA. Astronomers are increasingly monitoring space junk left near Earth during launches of satellites and other spacecraft. There are currently more than 1.2 million known pieces of space debris, 50,000 of which measure more than 4 inches across, according to a 2025 report by the European Space Agency. statement.
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Soviet-Era Spacecraft To Reenter Earth After 53 Years In Orbit: Report
A former Soviet spacecraft is predicted to crash back to Earth this week. Weighing approximately 453 kg, Kosmos 482 will reenter the planet's atmosphere around May 10, CNN reported. Launched in 1972, Kosmos 482 malfunctioned on its way to Venus. An issue with a timer resulted in an early engine shutdown, trapping the Soviet spacecraft in Earth's orbit for over half a century. With the aircraft now set to crash down, scientists are unsure which part of it will reenter the Earth. Some think it will be the probe, also known as the "entry capsule." The majority of space debris and meteors, which frequently veer toward a crash-landing on Earth, break apart due to friction and pressure as they strike the planet's dense atmosphere while travelling thousands of miles per hour. Cosmos 482, being a Soviet reentry capsule, is expected to be equipped with a substantial heat shield. It was designed to survive the extreme temperature and pressure of landing on Venus. The spacecraft "might well survive Earth atmosphere entry and hit the ground," wrote Dr. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, on his website. He added, "The risk of the object hitting people on the ground is likely minimal, and there's no need for major concern, but you wouldn't want it bashing you on the head." According to scientists, Cosmos 482 may land within 52 degrees north or south of the equator. Even if the area contains a large portion of the ocean, entire countries are still vulnerable to an uncontrolled spacecraft crashing down on their territory. Since a lot of the Earth is covered by oceans, scientists are optimistic that it will land in water. However, no one is certain about it. If Cosmos 482 hits dry land, it's important that onlookers avoid touching the debris. Dangerous fuel leaks or other damage to humans and property might occur from the outdated spaceship.
