Category Archives: Meteors

Improbable meteor causes chaos in Russia

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

If you had told me 24 hours ago that this would happen in my lifetime, I would have been skeptical–most of all that a meteoroid of this size could punch deep enough into the atmosphere to do any serious damage. … Continue reading →

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2012 DA14 will pass us by, but what is the risk from elsewhere?

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

You may have heard that an asteroid called 2012 DA14 will pass close by Earth this Friday, dipping below our ring of communications satellites at just 28,000 km (17,000 miles). At 50 meters wide (half the size of a football … Continue reading →

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In the sky: the Geminid meteor shower

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Alex R. Howe

Tomorrow night, December 13-14, will be one of the most impressive meteor showers of the year: the Geminids. Meteor showers are caused when Earth crosses the orbit of a comet. Even if the comet is nowhere near Earth at the … Continue reading →

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