Join the PRISMA Days 2020
The project PRISMA (First Italian network of systematic surveillance of meteors and atmosphere) aims to set up an Italian network of all-sky cameras for the observation of exceptionally bright meteors (fireballs and bolides). The objective is to determine the orbits of the objects that cause them and establish, with a good degree of approximation, the areas in which their fragments
What are the chances of an asteroid hitting us?
Ever wondered about the risk of asteroids hitting earth? What are the chances? What potential impact? If you speak Italian, listen to Ettore Perozzi from the Italian Space Association (ASI) explaining the odds of such an impact and what scientists are doing to defend our planet. There is a mention of our NEOROCKS project too!
Amazing week for Asteroid research!
This week, NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft completed its “tag-and-go” manoeuvre to collect surface rock from asteroid Bennu. This is an amazing achievement, reported all over the world. We’ve collected some great press articles for you, so you can find out more about this mission and why it is so important: Official NASA Oxiris Rex Page (In English) BBC News “Elation as Nasa's Osiris-Rex probe
Congratulations Andrea Ghez!
NEOROCKS sends huge congratulations to Andrea Ghez, Nobel Prize in Physics 2020! The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020 was divided, one half awarded to Roger Penrose "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity", the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object
MANIFESTO FOR EU COVID-19 RESEARCH
The European Commission has launched the MANIFESTO FOR EU COVID-19 RESEARCH, to maximise the accessibility of research results in the fight against COVID-19. The Manifesto is part of the EU Coronavirus response, the common European response to the coronavirus outbreak. It provides guiding principles for beneficiaries of EU research grants for coronavirus prevention, testing, treatment and vaccination to ensure that their research
Would you be a good asteroid observer?
The 24th of July was a busy night at the Tenerife Observatory. Join the ESA challenge and try to spot the 3 asteroids that were visible that night. Among them, you’ll see the previously unknown 2020 OM3. You have until the 25th of September to prove your hunting skills. Follow this link to check the images up close and see if you
NEOROCKS and IAWN
In 2013, the United Nation's General Assembly agreed to support a series of recommendations for an international response to a potential NEO impact threat. These included the establishment of an International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). IAWN is tasked with designing a strategy to assist Governments in analysing asteroid impact consequences and planning mitigation responses. NEOROCKS is providing input to IAWN, thanks to
Let’s learn about Near Earth Asteroid groups!
More than 7 months into our project, you all know what Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are and if not, here’s where you can find out: https://www.neorocks.eu/lets-learn-about-asteroids/
ESO science operations delayed due to COVID-19
Bad news regarding science operations at ESO observatories. The European Southern Observatory has confirmed that calls for proposal for Period 107 (April-October 2021) are suspended. The decision was made after an in depth analysis of the commitments already taken for Period 105 and 106 (October 2020-March 2021). At the La Silla Paranal Observatory, almost the entire observing time allocated for April-September 2020
Look up, a comet is passing by!
NEOWISE. Have you heard this name over the past few days? Have you seen some of the beautiful pictures with flashes of light flying over the Northern hemisphere? Did the name sound familiar? If you thought there might be a link with NEOROCKS, you were right! The NEO prefix indicates that we are talking about a Near Earth Object, a body whose