NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a small, nonthreatening asteroid on Monday in an experiment to change the space object's orbit around a larger space rock.
Why it matters: The first-of-its-kind mission — called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) — was designed to determine whether the technology could one day be used to defend Earth from hazardous asteroids or comets by deflecting them off their collision course with the planet.
Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday, coming about 367 million miles from our planet, according to NASA.
Why it matters: The event will coincide with the gas giant's "opposition," when it orbits to the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. It will appear larger and brighter than any other time of year.
NASA is set to slam a spacecraft into a little asteroid on Monday evening in an attempt to redirect it.
Why it matters: The first-of-it-kindmission — called DART — marks the first true test of whether or not NASA will one day be able to push a potentially dangerous asteroid off a collision course with Earth if the need should ever arise.
Homes across the northern Philippines were flooded and without power on Monday after the deadly Typhoon Noru swept through.
The big picture: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flew over flood-affected regions on Monday to survey the damage from the most powerful typhoon to strike the country this year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency for all of Florida on Saturday as Tropical Storm Ian approached the state.
Driving the news: Ian, which formed Friday over the southern Caribbean, was forecast to intensify through Monday, possibly into a high-end Category 4 storm.
