Moon

Massive asteroid passes between Earth and Moon

The object, named 2023 DZ2, was discovered a month ago.

BBC reports as predicted by scientists, it passed within 175,000km of the Earth on Saturday after flying past the Moon.

It is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet.

Astronomers described it as a once-in-a decade event.

According to Nasa, it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth.

Israel's Beresheet spacecraft crashes on Moon

The Israeli spacecraft - called Beresheet - attempted a soft landing, but suffered technical problems on its descent to the Moon's surface.

The aim of the mission was to take pictures and conduct experiments.

Israel hoped to become the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the Moon.

Buzz Aldrin takes you to Mars in VR

The film - Cycling Pathways to Mars - lasts just under 10 minutes and features the astronaut as a hologram narrating the experience.

Mr Aldrin's plan involves using the moons of Earth and Mars essentially as pitstops for people travelling to and from the Red Planet - a trip that will take about six months each way.

Speaking to the BBC, he said he hoped the film would help governments focus on a single plan to get to Mars.

"You can't afford to do them all," he said of competing visions. "Because it's using up the budget that we've got and we're going nowhere."

SpaceX to fly two tourists around Moon in 2018

The mission is planned for late 2018, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said, adding that the tourists "have already paid a significant deposit".

"This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years," he said.

The two unnamed people will fly aboard a spaceship which is set for its first unmanned test flight later this year.

Mr Musk said the co-operation of America's Nasa space agency had made the plan possible.

He said the two passengers "will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them".