Space images: The best of 2020
There was stunning cosmic imagery to feast on over the past year - here's our pick of the offerings.
Dec. 29, 2020 • ~6 min
Hayabusa-2: Pieces of an asteroid found inside space capsule
Scientists in Japan open the Hayabusa-2 space capsule that landed just over a week ago.
Dec. 15, 2020 • ~3 min
Asteroid capsule landing point detected
A search is under way for a capsule carrying the first large quantities of rock from an asteroid.
Dec. 5, 2020 • ~2 min
Rocks from an asteroid set for delivery to Earth
A Japanese spacecraft is set to deliver its precious sample cache to the Australian outback.
Dec. 4, 2020 • ~3 min
Hayabusa 2: returning asteroid sample could help uncover the origins of life and the solar system
If the building blocks of life were present at the time that Earth was born, this could mean life is common in the universe.
Dec. 4, 2020 • ~7 min
Hayabusa-2: Japan spacecraft leaves asteroid to head home
Hayabusa-2 will return with samples of the asteroid after its yearlong journey back to Earth.
Nov. 13, 2019 • ~2 min
Hayabusa-2: Japanese probe set to 'bomb' an asteroid
The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft is about to detonate an explosive charge on the asteroid it is exploring.
April 4, 2019 • ~3 min
Hayabusa 2: Asteroid image shows touchdown marks
A new image from Japan's Hayabusa-2 spacecraft reveals a dark splodge where it touched down on the surface of an asteroid last week.
Feb. 25, 2019 • ~2 min
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