NASA launches spacecraft to crash into near-Earth asteroid
CTV
NASA launched a spacecraft Tuesday night on a mission to smash into an asteroid and test whether it would be possible to knock a speeding space rock off course if one were to threaten Earth.
The DART spacecraft, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in a $330 million project with echoes of the Bruce Willis movie "Armageddon."
If all goes well, in September 2022 it will slam head-on into Dimorphos, an asteroid 525 feet (160 metres) across, at 15,000 mph (24,139 kph).
"This isn't going to destroy the asteroid. It's just going to give it a small nudge," said mission official Nancy Chabot of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which is managing the project.
Dimorphos orbits a much larger asteroid called Didymos. The pair are no danger to Earth but offer scientists a way to measure the effectiveness of the collision.
Tropical storm Sara drenches Honduras’ northern coast, with flash flooding and mudslides in forecast
Tropical storm Sara stalled over Honduras on Saturday. The area could see life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides through the weekend.
It's a growing trend online: fragrance influencers who rave about the beauty, sexiness and notes of vanilla in perfume have caught the attention of Canadian teenagers who are, in turn, flocking to cologne counters across the country.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is debuting two red panda cubs named after the mischievous twin wizards in the "Harry Potter" series.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
The two biggest children’s hospitals in Montreal - the CHU Sainte-Justine and Montreal Children's Hospital - are asking parents to avoid bringing their children to the emergency room if possible due to a surge in patients.
The ancient Roman Colosseum will be the venue of gladiator fights -- albeit staged -- for the first time in two millennia under a US$1.5 million sponsorship deal with Airbnb that aims to promote 'a more conscious tourism.'
Starting in January, people will be able to make online reservations for campsites for the 2025 season.
Premier Doug Ford's government has signed a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
Hallmark Canada has recalled a Star Wars-themed Christmas ornament after mould was found on several of the products.
In case you can't get enough of the little pygmy hippo Moo Deng from Thailand, there's now an official song featuring the internet's favourite baby animal — released in four languages for her global fans.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.