Asteroids

Europe must strengthen its watch for dangerous space rocks, the head of the European Space Agency's asteroid surveillance programme said Thursday, a week after a meteor struck Russia in a blinding fireball.

Scientists on Sunday said they had found water molecules in samples of lunar soil, and their unusual signature points to the Sun as the indirect source.

A private company made up of former NASA astronauts and US scientists said Thursday it is planning to build and launch its own space telescope to track dangerous asteroids and protect the Earth.

A private company made up of former NASA astronauts and US scientists said Thursday it is planning to build and launch its own space telescope to track dangerous asteroids and protect the Earth.

A US startup backed by film director James Cameron and Google's top executives on Tuesday unveiled bold plans to mine asteroids for precious minerals and water.

A startup backed by top Google executives and film director James Cameron on Tuesday unveiled a plan to mine asteroids for precious minerals and water.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - About 1,000 asteroids big enough to cause catastrophic damage if they hit Earth are orbiting relatively nearby, a NASA survey shows.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - About 1,000 asteroids big enough to cause catastrophic damage if they hit Earth are orbiting relatively nearby, a NASA survey shows.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A black asteroid as big as an aircraft carrier zoomed past Earth on Tuesday, delighting astronomers who trained telescopes on the ancient body in hopes of learning more about its composition and origin.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A black asteroid as big as an aircraft carrier zoomed past Earth on Tuesday, delighting astronomers who trained telescopes on the ancient body in hopes of learning more about its composition and origin.

A massive asteroid will make a rare fly-by Tuesday, and although it poses no danger of crashing to Earth, US scientists said this week they are eager for a closer look.

A rare opportunity to observe an asteroid at close quarters has unveiled a remarkable rock that seems to be a precursor of a planet, astronomers reported on Thursday.

Fewer giant asteroids are out in space than once thought and most of the biggest near-Earth asteroids have been found, leaving little threat of one smashing into the planet, NASA said Thursday.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A robotic NASA science probe slipped into orbit around the potato-shaped asteroid Vesta on Saturday to begin a yearlong study of the second largest object in the asteroid belt.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An asteroid with an estimated girth as large as a garbage truck soared within 7,500 miles of the Earth on Monday as it passed harmlessly over the Atlantic Ocean, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Scientists discover surprises while studying remnants of asteroid that fell to Earth. Scientists analyzing leftovers from an asteroid that harmlessly plunged through the sky in 2008 say there's great diversity in the meteorites recovered.

Astronauts, space scientists call for global action to prevent asteroid impact. Countries around the world must team up to help prevent an asteroid, or giant speeding rock, from slamming into Earth, scientists and former astronauts said Friday.

NASA's Hubble space telescope has captured what scientists believe are the first images of a collision between two asteroids, the US space agency said Wednesday.

NASA sky-mapping craft runs out of coolant, enters new phase of mission. NASA's sky-mapping spacecraft has embarked on a new phase in its mission after running out of coolant designed to chill its heat-sensitive instruments.