Catching up with Advances In Space Research for 1 Jan 2026 (vol. 77 #1):
Tan, X. Li, C. Wang, J. et al. Ground validation of dust multi-properties analyzer onboard Tianwen-2 Pg 1206 .2025.10.086
Lin, C-M. Yang, I-C. The characteristics of the distribution of meteor beginning heights in Quadrantids, Perseids and Geminids Pg 1253 .2025.09.065
I have mentioned Tianwen-2. Space Science Reviews has, well, reviewed Tianwen-2. One of the targets of Tianwen-2 is the Main-Belt comet 311P/Pan-STARRS, an active asteroid. Yes, an asteroid in the Main Belt that is somehow activated into producing a (faint) coma and tail. The Tianwen-2 spacecraft will carry a dust instrument, to help resolve the question of this coma and tail.
And speaking of debris shedding… of debris shedding from asteroids… the Geminid meteor shower and possibly the Quadrantid meteor shower are the light show produced from debris clouds shed by asteroids, not comets. We’re pretty sure the geminid meteors were shed from asteroid (3200) Phaethon, and we’re somewhat sold on the quadrantids being from asteroid 2003 EH1. (Sorry, perseids.) If these small (dust- to possibly pebble-sized) grains are truly bits of asteroids, then we now see bits of asteroids- what can we learn of them? The different parameters of a meteor phenomenon can tell us things. For example, denser micrometeorites penetrate further into Earth’s atmosphere than fluffy dust aggregates, even at the same total mass.