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How common are fireballs streaking across the sky?

  • By The Associated Press

Rocks from outer space are constantly hurtling toward Earth, slamming into the atmosphere and often exploding into fireballs that both delight and alarm people. Thankfully, the vast majority cause no damage because they are smashed into small chunks or dust. A fireball streaked across the sky near Cleveland this week, caused by what was thought to be a space rock weighing 7 tons. The American Meteor Society says it was seen from Wisconsin to Maryland. No fragments have been found yet.

Spacecraft's impact changed asteroid's orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds
National
AP Wire

Spacecraft's impact changed asteroid's orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds

  • By MARCIA DUNN - AP Aerospace Writer
  • Updated

A new study has found that an asteroid NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun. It's the first time that a celestial body's solar orbit was deliberately changed. Scientists reported Friday that the 2022 impact by the Dart spacecraft not only trimmed the asteroid's orbit around its bigger space rock companion, but also around the sun. Researchers say their findings could help divert an incoming killer space rock given enough advance notice. The study was published in Science Advances.