Since we’re talking about an object penetrating our Solar System from other parts of the galaxy, it was inevitable that this would draw wider media coverage. That coverage: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HeTCmtNJSUJul 3, 2025 Scott Manley We Just Discovered The Fastest Interstellar Comet… Read More »3I/ATLAS Patch
It’s official and it’s named. The object, provisionally designated A11pl3Z, showed ‘fuzziness’ (nebulosity, likely from activity) and was then given the comet designation C/2025 N1. Official discovery credit goes to the ATLAS network, Chile site (Rio Hurtado)- hence, the third designation.… Read More »Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
See also: Day 1 The 33rd meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group continues. This is a somewhat shorter SBAG meeting than usual. Given the upheaval of January/February, and the budget/regulatory risk, funding could not be confidently assigned for Early… Read More »Summer 2025 SBAG Meeting, Day 2
The 2025 meeting of the European Geosciences Union has occurred. And yes, there was relevant content in a geophysics conference. Small bodies are subject to physical laws too: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/meetingprogramme Monday, 28 AprilTue, 29 AprWed, 30 AprThu, 01 MayFri, 02 May… Read More »EGU General Assembly 2025
One in-scope paper in Planetary and Space Science, vol. 256 (Feb), and none in March: De Keyser, J. Edberg, N. J. T. Henri, P. H. et al. Optimal choice of closest approach distance for a comet flyby: Application to the… Read More »Note, Paper: Plan Sp Plans
… see also Part 1 of the Meeting … Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 10:00 AM Mission Updates: Part 110:00 AM Patrick Michel, Hera – ESA10:10 AM Michael Kueppers, Comet Interceptor — ESA10:20 AM Javier Licandro, NEOMIR — ESA10:30 AM Kelsi Singer,… Read More »32nd SBAG, Jan 2025 pt. 2
Nearing the end of this year’s Europlanet meeting. The program for this day is particularly small-body-related: Keynote lecture SB “Highlights of Hayabusa 2 sample return mission” by Patrick MichelKeynote lecture TP by “An estimate of the impact rate on Mars… Read More »Europlanet. Sci. Congress 2024, Part Epsi (SSSB)
I want to bring up a new NASA solicitation. No, I don’t want to bring to your attention a solicitation (announcement of opportunity), I want to show just how far the announcement and NASA policies have strayed from outcome-oriented, actionable… Read More »No More Paper- More Launch
First installment, COSPAR 2024 highlights (per my blogger’s prerogative) (see Finalprogram-2024.pdf) B0.2 Instrumentation for Planetary ExplorationMain Organizer: Dirri, Fabrizio Deputy: Shanmugam, M. B0.2-0001-24 09:00 (solicited) Planetary Missions of India: Instruments Review and Science. Bhardwaj, AnilB0.2-0002-24 09:20 (solicited) Development status of… Read More »2024 COSPAR meeting, Busan- 1
Apollo Applications Program “asteroid mission” “NASA Halley Mission” [further Shuttle-era cancellations] Piazzi Vesta CRAF (Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby) Clementine (…technically) Clementine II NEAP/NEAF (Near-Earth Asteroid Prospector/Flyby) CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour- yes, I know the case doesn’t work out) SOCCER (initial… Read More »Numquam Obliviscendi