A little too close for comfort

A piece of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs may have been found. Paleontologists at a fossil site in North Dakota may have found fossils from animals that died within an hour of the asteroid’s strike, buried alive by sediment that had been rapidly displaced by the impact. They also found crystallized pieces of rock that they think were ejected from the impact crater, including one fragment that had been encased in amber (pictured) after landing in tree sap. This particular fragment was preserved by the amber, allowing scientists to analyze its composition and determine that it was of cosmic origin. The team hopes that further analysis may reveal what the asteroid was made from and where in the solar system it came from. Image credit: NASA Goddard.

China's Zhurong rover may have found evidence of a wetter Mars. The spacecraft analyzed material at its landing site in Utopia Planitia, a large plain in Mars' northern hemisphere, and may have found signs that the area contained liquid water during a time when many scientists believed Mars was dry and cold. The findings suggest that liquid water may have existed on Mars more recently than expected.

There may be millions of asteroids out there, but does that mean we’re doomed just like the dinosaurs? Take a look at the actual risk that asteroids and other near-Earth objects pose, when you need to worry, and when you don’t. Plus, watch our newest video that breaks down the five steps we can take to avoid a planetary disaster: find, track, characterize, deflect, and coordinate and educate. Pictured: An artist’s impression of an asteroid approaching Earth. Image credit: Ray Cassel.

We’re not just preserving life on this planet; we’re looking elsewhere for it too! One of the big questions facing researchers involved in the search for life beyond Earth is how we’ll recognize alien life if we do find it, since all we currently know is Earth-like life. Planetary Society board member and Cornell University planetary scientist Britney Schmidt joins this week’s Planetary Radio to talk about this challenge and share some insights into how researchers like her address it — including with a sub-ice exploring robotic submarine.

A huge asteroid is coming near Earth in seven years — and we’re getting ready for it. The 400-meter asteroid Apophis will fly by Earth in 2029, coming closer than our geostationary satellites. Scientists are sure that it won’t hit the Earth, but it will provide an unparalleled opportunity to study an asteroid and to raise public awareness about the asteroid threat. The Planetary Society participated in a conference last week to plan for this event and prepare to make the most of it.

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