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Asteroid deflection technologies

Asteroid deflection technologies are methods and strategies developed to prevent potential impacts of asteroids with Earth. These technologies aim to alter the trajectory of an asteroid to ensure it does not collide with our planet Following the success of NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, discussions about planetary defense and asteroid deflection strategies are increasingly prominent. Here are some principal methods and how they work: 1. Kinetic Impactor:    - How It Works: This method involves sending a spacecraft to collide with an asteroid at high speed. The impact changes the asteroid's velocity and trajectory, ideally enough to avoid a collision with Earth.    - Example: NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission successfully demonstrated this technique by impacting the moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. 2. Gravity Tractor:    - How It Works: A spacecraft positioned near an asteroid uses its gravitational pull to...

About White Dwarf Atmospheres

White Dwarf Atmospheres Might Contain the Pulverized Crusts of Their Dead Planets

Archeologists study ancient civilizations through evidence left behind and buried in layers in long-lost sites. And now, astronomers have developed a technique to learn more about the planets that once orbited a star. By studying the atmosphere of a long-dead star called a white dwarf, astronomers can detect the chemicals in its atmosphere that indicate what kinds of planets once orbited there. Of course, those planets are long gone, now just pulverized debris incorporated into the star, but it's a good start.

Read the full story by Paul M. Sutter

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