Asteroid BB Gun
Researchers confirm that asteroid impacts can strike with enough force to liquefy carbon deep in the Earth's crust and eject it skyward to form beads that then blanket the planet. The finding is helping scientists interpret how past impacts effected life on Earth.

Solar System Bounce
A new computer model may demonstrate how comets from the outer solar system are sent into the inner solar system where they can impact with planets. The model could also explain why the Earth might have experienced cycles of high impact activity throughout its history.

Osmium Tracks Earth Impacts
Scientists have developed a new way of determining the size and frequency of meteorites that have collided with Earth in the past. Their work has provided new information about the impact that may have caused the demise of the dinosaurs.

Meteorites a Rich Source for Primordial Soup
A new study shows that meteorites may contain concentrations of amino acids that are ten times higher than levels previously measured. This means the early Solar System was quite rich in the organic building blocks of life, and that fallout from space may have played a role in life's origin on Earth.

Peruvian Fireball
In September of last year, an object came crashing down in the Peruvian countryside and captured headlines around the world. Now the object has been identified and is changing our knowledge of stony meteorites.

Asteroid Triple Threat
Asteroid 2001 SN263 has now been identified as the first ever near-Earth triple asteroid. Observations of the asteroid triplet are yielding surprising new insights about the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

A Comet Continuum
Contrary to expectations, comet dust returned to Earth by the Stardust mission formed close to the Sun and resembles a meteorite from the asteroid belt rather than an ancient, unaltered comet. The results are now providing new clues about the formation of our Solar System.

Zipping Through the Neighborhood
An asteroid is set to make a rare and close flyby of Earth on January 29. It poses no threat to the planet, but may put on a show in the night sky for amateur astronomers.

Life from the Abyss
In this interview, Nigel Mason explains how molecules formed in space might eventually lead to life, and describes what scientists are doing to better understand this process.

Small Rocks Make Big Impacts
Researchers have found that a smaller asteroid than previously thought caused the destructive 1908 Tunguska impact in Siberia. The finding is helping scientists determine the amount of damage small asteroids can potentially cause to ecosystems and human populations.