It has been a while since I’ve done this, so I think a quick roundup of some interesting space and science features recently in the news can be of use.
NASA’s InSight lander is on its way to Mars. The probe has made its first-course correction toward the Red Planet and fired its thrusters to change its flight path, which will happen about six times before reaching its target. Go, InSight, go! (Here for the whole story)
More “alien” (meaning from outside our Solar System) asteroids are more common than we thought. One has just being located around Jupiter. “Unlike Oumuamua, the cigar-shaped rock that caused a sensation when it cruised through the inner solar system and right back out toward interstellar space last winter, however, this asteroid has taken up permanent residence among us, according to a new study published Monday in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters.
The asteroid, known as 2015 BZ509 — “BZ” for short — was discovered in 2014 sharing orbital space with Jupiter, making a circuit of the sun about every 11.6 years. But it goes around the sun in the opposite direction of Jupiter and the other planets — in a so-called retrograde orbit. The only reason it can avoid banging into Jupiter is that its orbit is egg-shaped and so the rock slips inside and then outside of the giant planet’s orbit as it goes around.” Interesting, isn’t it? You can read more here.
I close with another article of the ongoing dispute over Galileo that has been the subject of a previous post. This week’s Galileo row: Brexit will bar the UK from EUsat-nav programme, but Britain could build its own provides another point of view over this complicated issue.
Thank you once again for your interesting and informative roundup, Steph. The asteroid BZ is fascinating…
Yes, this is a good period for space news, isn’t it? Something new every week or so 🙂
Go, Insight! Can’t wait for more photos from Mars!
Yes, I am counting days too! 🙂