How Small Bodies are Playing a Big Role in Planetary Science

Written byKeith Cooper

Small solar system bodies, such as asteroids and comets, have become increasingly important targets for NASA scientists over the past decades. There was a time when such objects were viewed as simple balls of rock and/or ice. However, astrobiologists today have a great interest in small bodies thanks to numerous studies using both Earth- and space-based instrumentation. These worlds have much to teach us about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, and their potential role in delivering key ingredients for the origins of life to the early Earth.

Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has ben visited by ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft, and could receive another visit from a potential NASA mission called CAESAR.Image credit: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM..

Astrobiology Magazine recently highlighted the increasing role of small bodies in astrobiology research, as well as NASA’s plans for future missions to comets, asteroids, and dwarf planets. To read the full article, visit: https://www.astrobio.net/news-exclusive/how-small-bodies-are-playing-a-big-role-in-planetary-science/.