"The large-scale homogeneity of the universe makes it very difficult to believe that the structure of the universe is determined by anything so peripheral as some complicated molecular structure on a minor planet orbiting a very average star in the outer suburbs of a fairly typical galaxy."

— Steven Hawking

asteroids

A Close Call

By Kevin at Thu, 06/23/2011 - 7:45pm

A small asteroid will skim past Earth on Monday:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/124430479.html

We have an orbiting neighbor

By myamiphil at Sun, 01/25/2009 - 6:51pm

CURIOUS ASTEROID FLYBY: Newly-discovered asteroid 2009 BD is slowly passing by Earth today only 400,000 miles away. The approximately 10 meter-wide space rock poses no significant threat, but it merits attention anyway: The orbit of 2009 BD appears to be almost identical to the orbit of Earth. 2009 BD may be a rare "co-orbital asteroid," circling the sun in near-tandem with our planet.

2009 BD