Asteroids burn bright near the moon before they disintegrate into darkness forever ...

Space Exploration & Comet Research - A comet, traveling at 25,000 kilometers per hour, is approaching the solar system and will be targeted by the Comet Interceptor mission [1][3] - The Comet Interceptor mission, funded by the European Space Agency in collaboration with the Japanese Space Agency, aims to study a comet coming close to the sun for the first time [3][24] - Comets are believed to have delivered organics and water to Earth, crucial for the formation of life, but also pose a threat of impacts [12][13][14] - Missions to processed comets have limitations, necessitating a mission to an unchanged comet from the Oort cloud, which contains hundreds of billions or even trillions of comets [23][24][25] - The Comet Interceptor mission will park in a stable orbit, wait for a suitable comet, and then intercept it for a few hours to collect data [29][30][31][32] Planetary Defense & Space Mission Strategy - The mission aims to test the strategy of parking in space until a target is identified, which could be used for planetary defense against hazardous objects [33][34] - Developing instruments for space exploration is a time-consuming task, requiring years or even decades of rigorous testing [27] Scientific Significance - Asteroids and comets are relics from the early solar system, with asteroids forming closer to the sun and comets forming in the outer solar system [7] - Studying comets can provide insights into the materials from the outer solar system, where ice is preserved [22]

Asteroid Threat & Awareness - Asteroids have caused global catastrophes in the past, such as the extinction of 75% of species, including dinosaurs, approximately 65 million years ago [2] - Earth's atmosphere protects the planet, but significant asteroid impacts still occur, with 190 noted impact sites [6][7] - A Tunguska event in Russia flattened 100 square kilometers of forest, highlighting the potential devastation [8][9] - The Chelyabinsk event injured hundreds and affected thousands of buildings, demonstrating the impact potential even with smaller asteroids [10] - World Asteroid Day on June 30th serves as a reminder of the potential threat [8] Asteroid Discovery & Monitoring - Approximately 44 tons of material from space rains down on Earth daily, mostly as small particles [18] - The Vera Rubin Observatory discovered over 2,000 new asteroids within a week, showcasing advancements in asteroid detection [21] - Astronomers track near-Earth objects to assess potential collision risks [25] - An asteroid of 150 meters in size could disintegrate a city upon impact [26] - Asteroid Apophis will pass close to Earth in April 2029, within one-tenth the distance of the moon [28][29] Asteroid Deflection & Resource Utilization - NASA's DART mission successfully altered an asteroid's orbit, demonstrating a method for asteroid deflection [32] - Space agencies are exploring methods to deflect asteroids, avoiding fragmentation that could cause multiple impacts [30][31] - Asteroids contain carbon, silica, and metals, making them potential targets for space mining [38] - Space mining could provide resources for building structures in space and fuel for missions to Mars and Jupiter [39]