Latest Main Belt asteroids Stories
ESA's comet chaser, Rosetta, last night flew by a small body in the main asteroid belt, asteroid Steins, collecting a wealth of information about this rare type of minor Solar System body. At 20:58 CEST (18:58 UT) last night, ESA's Rosetta probe approached asteroid 2867 Steins, coming to within a distance of only 800 km from it. Steins is Rosetta's first nominal scientific target in its 11½ year mission to ultimately explore the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The success of...
A European spacecraft zoomed by a rocky asteroid Friday in the first of two pit stops on the way to a distant comet. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta comet probe zipped by the asteroid Steins, a space rock in the asteroid belt between the planets Mars and Jupiter, as it streaked across the solar system millions of miles from Earth. Rosetta made its closest pass by Steins, officially known as Asteroid 2867, at 2:58 p.m. EDT (1858 GMT), and swung within 500 miles (800...
The Rosetta spacecraft control room is buzzing with anticipation as Rosetta closes in on asteroid 2867 Steins. The fly-by timeline includes a series of critical events, culminating with closest approach - expected at 20:58 CEST, 5 September 2008.At the time of closest approach, Rosetta is planned to be 800 km from the asteroid, passing by at a speed of 8.6 km/s relative to Steins. Both Rosetta and Steins will be illuminated by the Sun, providing an excellent opportunity for science...
An important milestone has just been accomplished as Rosetta successfully swung by Earth at 21:57 CET. The spacecraft will now be catapulted towards the outer Solar System with its newly-gained energy before coming back to Earth for another boost.As mission operators waited for the fully automated manoeuvre to be carried out, Rosetta flew directly above 63° 46' south and 74° 35' west, at 21:57 CET (above the Pacific ocean, south-west of Chile). Rosetta whizzed past 5295 km overhead, at...
During the very first observations of Rosetta's flyby target 2867-Steins in March 2006 the onboard camera OSIRIS obtained the most accurate "˜light curve' of this asteroid so far.OSIRIS observed Steins from a distance of 159 million kilometres and, from there, it obtained images and important clues about its characteristics.Although ESA's Rosetta is still far away from its destination comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and its flyby targets 2867-Steins and 21-Lutetia, scientists have already...
Earlier this month ESA's Rosetta had a first look at asteroid 21-Lutetia, one of the targets of its long mission. The onboard camera OSIRIS imaged the asteroid passing through its field of view during the spacecraft's gradual approach to Mars. The planet will be reached on 25 February 2007 for the mission's next gravity assist.During its long trek to final destination (comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko), Rosetta is planned to study two asteroids "“ 2867-Steins and 21-Lutetia, both lying in...
LONDON -- Scientists have spotted an asteroid with more than one moon -- the first discovery of its kind.Astronomers found a second moonlet orbiting 87 Sylvia, a heavenly body zooming around the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, according to a Nature magazine report.Sylvia was previously thought to be one of 60 asteroids with just one moon, said University of California astronomer Franck Marchis, whose team made the discovery in March."We were very excited -- it was the...
Latest Main Belt asteroids Reference Libraries
Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel was born on December 4, 1821 in Germany and died March 16, 1889. Tempel worked in Marseille until the onset of the Franco Prussian War in 1870 at which time he relocated to Italy. Tempel discovered or assisted in discovering 21 comets. The Tempel asteroid 3808 and lunar crater Tempel are named in his honor. His most notable discoveries include the following asteroids 564 Angelina, 65 Cybele, 74 Galatea, 81 Terpsichore and 97 Klotho.
Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel was born on December 4, 1821 in Germany and died March 16, 1889. Tempel worked in Marseille until the onset of the Franco Prussian War in 1870 at which time he relocated to Italy. Tempel discovered or assisted in discovering 21 comets. The Tempel asteroid 3808 and lunar crater Tempel are named in his honor. His most notable discoveries include the following asteroids 564 Angelina, 65 Cybele, 74 Galatea, 81 Terpsichore and 97 Klotho.
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (June 21, 1863 - October 3, 1932) was a German astronomer and pioneer of astrophotography. He is accredited with the discovery of a large quantity of asteroids. Heidelberg, Germany was his birthplace. He received his PhD at the University of Heidelberg in 1888, and in 1890 he took employment in that institution. Beginning in 1891, Wolf discovered more than 200 asteroids with the Bruce double-astrograph, while working at the Landessternwarte...
Baron Franz Xaver von Zach (June 4, 1754 "“ September 2, 1832) was a Hungarian astronomer born in Pest most remembered for his efforts in search of the "missing planet", writing Tables of the Sun, and serving as Editor on 3 major scientific journals. Before moving to London in 1783, Zach served time in the Austrian army. He lived in London for 3 years employed as house tutor to the Saxon minister, Count Brühl. Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg appointed Zach in 1786 as...
