Sounds like a reason to update all of the planetarium's NEA data files #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
☄️ 40 000 near-Earth asteroids discovered!
Thankfully, none of them are cause for concern for the foreseeable future, but ESA's planetary defence teams are keeping a watchful eye on the skies.
www.esa.int/Space_Safety...
Thankfully, none of them are cause for concern for the foreseeable future, but ESA's planetary defence teams are keeping a watchful eye on the skies.
www.esa.int/Space_Safety...
November 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Sounds like a reason to update all of the planetarium's NEA data files #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Thanks, I love it #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
And another new asteroid! Here's Torifune, captured during yesterday's flyby by Hayabusa2. www.jaxa.jp/press/2026/0...
July 7, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Thanks, I love it #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Very excited to see what this #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mission can do, and if anyone is wondering what's on my Christmas list, that unofficial patch just rocketed to a spot near the top
NEW: When she worked at NASA’s JPL, Amy Mainzer used to rack up high scores on the 1979 Atari game ASTEROIDS. Very apt, now she’s in charge of a space mission that will save the world from killer asteroids.
Planet Protector, my new feature for @science.org, is live. www.science.org/content/arti...
Planet Protector, my new feature for @science.org, is live. www.science.org/content/arti...
NASA telescope will hunt down ‘city killer’ asteroids
With an infrared eye, NEO Surveyor will target dangerous space rocks glowing in the dark
www.science.org
December 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Very excited to see what this #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mission can do, and if anyone is wondering what's on my Christmas list, that unofficial patch just rocketed to a spot near the top
The fleeting Earth-asteroid connection will, in fact, center around Valentines Day. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
@teddykareta.bsky.social I know your honeymoon plans were disrupted, but why not have a
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
June 9, 2026 at 8:31 PM
The fleeting Earth-asteroid connection will, in fact, center around Valentines Day. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
This will absolutely be a #BetterKnowAnAsteroid segment in the near future.
October 16, 2024 at 2:43 PM
This will absolutely be a #BetterKnowAnAsteroid segment in the near future.
Why yes, I am working on putting the asteroid's shape model in our planetarium software, why do you ask? #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Southwest Research Institute: Lucy Mission Reveals Wobbling Peanut Asteroid www.swri.org/newsroom/pre...
SwRI-led Lucy mission reveals wobbling peanut asteroid | Southwest Research Institute
SwRI-led Lucy mission reveals wobbling peanut asteroid
www.swri.org
June 18, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Why yes, I am working on putting the asteroid's shape model in our planetarium software, why do you ask? #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
I'm ready. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
In 2024, the UNITED NATIONS' General Assembly declared 2029 the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence to take advantage on the close approach of 99942 Apophis and raise global awareness about asteroids.
International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence, 2029 | United Nations
International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence is the unique occasion of the close approach of 99942 Apophis in 2029 for a worldwide campaign to raise awareness regarding asteroids and...
www.un.org
December 7, 2024 at 3:05 PM
I'm ready. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
China to launch Tianwen-2 asteroid sampling mission on May 28
HELSINKI — China is set to launch its second Tianwen deep space exploration mission late May, targeting both a near Earth asteroid and a main belt comet. The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is now being integrated with a Long March 3B rocket at…
HELSINKI — China is set to launch its second Tianwen deep space exploration mission late May, targeting both a near Earth asteroid and a main belt comet. The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is now being integrated with a Long March 3B rocket at…
China to launch Tianwen-2 asteroid sampling mission on May 28
HELSINKI — China is set to launch its second Tianwen deep space exploration mission late May, targeting both a near Earth asteroid and a main belt comet. The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is now being integrated with a Long March 3B rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced May 18, stating launch is scheduled for the end of May.
spacenews.com
May 19, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Look at this weird little space rock. I think it's great. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson - NASA Science
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million
science.nasa.gov
April 21, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Look at this weird little space rock. I think it's great. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Some giraffes are roughly two asteroids tall #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Giraffes, the tallest animal on Earth, help ecosystems thrive by feeding on upper plants, letting sunlight reach lower vegetation across Africa’s savannahs.
🦒 This #WorldGiraffeDay, explore what’s threatening their home and how we can restore it: https://bit.ly/4c5p6X9
🦒 This #WorldGiraffeDay, explore what’s threatening their home and how we can restore it: https://bit.ly/4c5p6X9
June 21, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Some giraffes are roughly two asteroids tall #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
"Pluto is geologically interesting and is still a planet in my book."
That's fine. I agree that it's very interesting! (Of course, I love every object in the Minor Planet Center's database equally, so I'm probably an outlier on this front. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid)
That's fine. I agree that it's very interesting! (Of course, I love every object in the Minor Planet Center's database equally, so I'm probably an outlier on this front. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid)
March 15, 2026 at 6:24 PM
"Pluto is geologically interesting and is still a planet in my book."
That's fine. I agree that it's very interesting! (Of course, I love every object in the Minor Planet Center's database equally, so I'm probably an outlier on this front. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid)
That's fine. I agree that it's very interesting! (Of course, I love every object in the Minor Planet Center's database equally, so I'm probably an outlier on this front. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid)
Maybe someone else on #TeamAsteroid has their own quasi-satellite discovery in search of a name #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
December 2, 2024 at 8:33 PM
Maybe someone else on #TeamAsteroid has their own quasi-satellite discovery in search of a name #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
🎶 When a random rock hits your Moon like a big pizza pie, that's #BetterKnowAnAsteroid 🎶
2024 YR4 not done yet. Lunar impact probability for 2032 has jumped to 3.8% with latest obs. Size constrained to 53-67 meters wide.🔭🧪
science.nasa.gov/blogs/planet...
science.nasa.gov/blogs/planet...
April 3, 2025 at 1:00 AM
🎶 When a random rock hits your Moon like a big pizza pie, that's #BetterKnowAnAsteroid 🎶
My #planetarium is ready for the upcoming #BetterKnowAnAsteroid holiday, April 20. The Lucy spacecraft will fly by a smallish main belt #asteroid named Donaldjohanson. For this #astroviz, I made full use of SPICE kernels to control the 3D model. Always happy to shine a light on #TeamAsteroid!
March 30, 2025 at 1:05 AM
My #planetarium is ready for the upcoming #BetterKnowAnAsteroid holiday, April 20. The Lucy spacecraft will fly by a smallish main belt #asteroid named Donaldjohanson. For this #astroviz, I made full use of SPICE kernels to control the 3D model. Always happy to shine a light on #TeamAsteroid!
A new twist on the origin of the Martian moons: they aren't just captured asteroids or impact debris, but they might be both. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Making Mars' Moons: Supercomputers Offer ‘Disruptive’ New Explanation - NASA
A NASA study using a series of supercomputer simulations reveals a potential new solution to a longstanding Martian mystery: How did Mars get its
www.nasa.gov
November 22, 2024 at 6:46 PM
A new twist on the origin of the Martian moons: they aren't just captured asteroids or impact debris, but they might be both. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
88705 Potato is an honorary #BetterKnowAnAsteroid alum, after its appearance in one of our LiveSky #planetarium games, "Asteroid, Comet, or Potato"
Whenever I get really sad I look up asteroid 88705 Potato. It brings me great comfort to think about the real space potato... visible in the evening sky!!
January 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
88705 Potato is an honorary #BetterKnowAnAsteroid alum, after its appearance in one of our LiveSky #planetarium games, "Asteroid, Comet, or Potato"
Happened to catch last night's chatter about #A11pl3Z, seemingly the third interstellar object found visiting the solar system, and added its trajectory into our planetarium software—I also uploaded it to a cloud server so that other users had immediate access. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
July 2, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Happened to catch last night's chatter about #A11pl3Z, seemingly the third interstellar object found visiting the solar system, and added its trajectory into our planetarium software—I also uploaded it to a cloud server so that other users had immediate access. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Now that's what I call seasonal #BetterKnowAnAsteroid content
Scientists find evidence that an asteroid contains tryptophan | CNN
An essential amino acid that is mistakenly believed to cause drowsiness after eating turkey has been found in an asteroid for the first time, giving scientists clues to the origin of life on Earth.
www.cnn.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Now that's what I call seasonal #BetterKnowAnAsteroid content
Here's a summary of Quaoar's ring system: noirlab.edu/public/blog/...
I saw it visualized on a recent episode of NOVA and thought, hey that looks weird. That's kind of the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mantra.
I saw it visualized on a recent episode of NOVA and thought, hey that looks weird. That's kind of the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mantra.
Blog: Rings of Quaoar Astronomers discover a second "impossible” ring around the Trans-Neptunian object Quaoar
Rings of Quaoar
noirlab.edu
November 19, 2024 at 12:53 AM
Here's a summary of Quaoar's ring system: noirlab.edu/public/blog/...
I saw it visualized on a recent episode of NOVA and thought, hey that looks weird. That's kind of the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mantra.
I saw it visualized on a recent episode of NOVA and thought, hey that looks weird. That's kind of the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid mantra.
A critical step in #BetterKnowAnAsteroid is having the facilities that allow you to get to know the asteroid better. So slashing science budgets indiscriminately isn't good
The request includes cuts to Keck, Kitt Peak, Cerolo Tololo, and the DSN.
On the NSF side; Vera Rubin would not be cut but Gemini, most of the smaller optical telescopes, and all the radio astronomy facilities would be.
So asteroid discovery might escape, but follow-up would not.
On the NSF side; Vera Rubin would not be cut but Gemini, most of the smaller optical telescopes, and all the radio astronomy facilities would be.
So asteroid discovery might escape, but follow-up would not.
nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov
May 31, 2025 at 1:29 AM
A critical step in #BetterKnowAnAsteroid is having the facilities that allow you to get to know the asteroid better. So slashing science budgets indiscriminately isn't good
We do have a few quasi-moons. They may not total 38, but small ones would be hard to see, so we can't rule it out. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
July 3, 2026 at 8:12 PM
We do have a few quasi-moons. They may not total 38, but small ones would be hard to see, so we can't rule it out. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
While asteroid impacts are top of mind, let's pause for a moment to consider just how bad the impact of a modestly sized rock like Bennu should be. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Near-Earth asteroid Bennu could hit Earth in 157 years and set off a global ‘impact winter,’ study says | CNN
Near-Earth asteroid Bennu has a slim chance of colliding with Earth in 2182. If it does, the impact could trigger a global winter that affects our planet for years.
www.cnn.com
February 6, 2025 at 12:22 AM
While asteroid impacts are top of mind, let's pause for a moment to consider just how bad the impact of a modestly sized rock like Bennu should be. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
If you walk down to the meteorite store and buy a run-of-the-mill space rock, odds are you're getting a piece of the Massalia or Koronis family. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
www.sciencenews.org/article/orig...
www.sciencenews.org/article/orig...
The cataclysmic origins of most of Earth’s meteorites have been found
Just a few smashups in the asteroid belt may account for 70 percent of Earth’s meteorites, limiting what’s known about our solar system’s history.
www.sciencenews.org
October 16, 2024 at 7:10 PM
If you walk down to the meteorite store and buy a run-of-the-mill space rock, odds are you're getting a piece of the Massalia or Koronis family. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
www.sciencenews.org/article/orig...
www.sciencenews.org/article/orig...
Man, Chariklo is so cool. It's one of the big reasons the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid train got rolling. Ten years ago, I had just started a new job & had $1 million of planetarium tech to play with. Embargoed news snuck out, usually a bad thing, but I was able to prep and share as soon as it was official
February 7, 2024 at 4:04 PM
Man, Chariklo is so cool. It's one of the big reasons the #BetterKnowAnAsteroid train got rolling. Ten years ago, I had just started a new job & had $1 million of planetarium tech to play with. Embargoed news snuck out, usually a bad thing, but I was able to prep and share as soon as it was official
Want to go back to a better time? Ya know, like when the inner solar system was filled with numerous Moon- to Mars-sized first-generation planetesimals? Before planets and their various problems? Check out an angrite meteorite. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid
Remnants of a lost Planetesimal: Searching for the Angrite parent body
It is hypothesized that the Solar System was once populated by Moon to Mars-sized planetary embryos, however, resulting debris from their disruptions …
www.sciencedirect.com
February 8, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Want to go back to a better time? Ya know, like when the inner solar system was filled with numerous Moon- to Mars-sized first-generation planetesimals? Before planets and their various problems? Check out an angrite meteorite. #BetterKnowAnAsteroid