Catching a Falling Star (Science)

12/08 NASA photo of a black chunk of rock found in the Sudan desert, the first time astronomers have tracked an asteroid from space, through the atmosphere, down to the ground as a meteorite (AP/NASA). Click to enlarge.

WASHINGTON – For the first time scientists matched a meteorite found on Earth with a specific asteroid that became a fireball plunging through the sky. It gives them a glimpse into the past when planets formed and an idea how to avoid a future asteroid Armageddon.

Last October, astronomers tracked a small non-threatening asteroid heading toward Earth before it became a "shooting star," something they had not done before. It blew up in the sky and scientists thought there would be no space rocks left to examine. But... More>>

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