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Space Science Institute
Making an Impact on Asteroid Deflection
When it comes to asteroids—rare but potentially cataclysmic threats to global security—the best defense is a good offense. The most hazardous planetary objects are near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), those found to be in orbits that allow them to enter Earth's neighborhood.
Here is what it will take to avoid extinction by asteroid
Sixty-five million years ago, a catastrophic impact forever changed the environmental landscape of Earth – and there was no way to see it coming. This Earth-bound asteroid – or maybe several – changed the course of millions of years of evolution, altered the composition of our atmosphere – and the geology of Central America for good measure.
Lab plays role in striking view of Mercury transit
Around 13 times per century, Mercury passes between Earth and the sun in a rare astronomical event known as a planetary transit. The 2016 Mercury transit occurred on May 9 between roughly 4:12 a.m. and 11:42 p.m. PDT.NASA's stunning video of the transit of Mercury across the sun was made possible in part by work done by Lawrence Livermore scientists. Regina Soufli, a…
These space rocks could save the planet
The box was inconspicuous, but Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) postdoctoral researcher Megan Bruck Syal immediately knew its contents: two meteorites around the size of walnuts. They formed about 4.6 billion years ago and survived a history of violent collisions in the asteroid belt before being bumped into a near-Earth-object orbit by gravitational…
New research explores asteroid deflection using spacecraft to crash into body at high speeds
Asteroids headed for a collision with the Earth, if found early enough, can be acted upon to prevent the potentially devastating consequences of an impact. One technique to divert an asteroid, called kinetic impact, uses a spacecraft to crash into the body at high speeds.This approach delivers the momentum of the spacecraft, while also providing an additional boost of…
An X-Ray Eye on Universes
Answers to many scientific mysteries lie in realms invisible to the human eye. Clues to some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy, cosmology, and nuclear science lurk in sections of the electromagnetic spectrum outside the small slice of wavelengths one can see.
Lawrence Livermore scientists' discovery of new young planet provides insight into Jupiter
For the first time, Lawrence Livermore scientists, as part of an international team, have discovered the most Jupiter-like planet ever seen in a young star system, lending clues to understanding how planets formed around our sun.Using a new advanced adaptive optics device on the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) on the Gemini South Telescope in Chile, the team took an image of…
Giant Steps for Adaptive Optics
Livermore teams are now working on an adaptive optics system to transport x-ray beams in a new generation of high-energy research facilities.
Evidence of a Turbulent Beginning
Research from a Livermore-led team suggests our solar system’s birth was chaotic and included input from a nearby supernova explosion early in its evolution.
Averting Impact: Modeling Solutions to Prevent Asteroid Collisions
The story is common in science fiction: A large asteroid is on a collision course with planet Earth, and scientists are working to save the world. In February 2013, the scenario became a little less fictional when a meteor nearly 20 meters in diameter streaked through the sky above Russia.
