Technologies

Earth just had its closest asteroid encounter of 2021

This curious little space rock never posed a threat, though.

A truck-size asteroid whizzed above our planet early Wednesday just hours after it was first discovered, passing closer to the surface of Earth than the ring of large communications satellites in orbit.

The space rock is cataloged as asteroid 2021 RS2 and measures between 7 and 17 feet (2.1 and 5.2 meters) in diameter, making it somewhere between the size of a small car and a larger pickup truck. It came within roughly 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) of the surface of Earth, which is twice as close as the plane on which those big satellites fly. This is just slightly closer than a smaller asteroid that flew by in February.

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This more recent little cosmic visitor whipped by us at decent speed, traveling at over 39,000 miles per hour (18 kilometers per second). Mt. Lemmon Survey in Arizona originally spotted it on Tuesday, not long before its close approach.

Obviously, it kept right on moving through the solar system without incident, but even if it had impacted Earth it probably wouldn’t have made it very far through the atmosphere without burning up nearly completely or totally. For comparison, the meteor that struck Russia in 2013, creating an atmospheric blast that blew out thousands of windows, was probably 10 times as wide. By the time it struck the surface, the largest fragment found was only 5 feet (1.5 meters) across.

Asteroids like 2021 RS2 don’t pose a threat, but astronomers say it’s the ones we haven’t yet discovered that we should worry about. The Russian meteor was just such a space rock that snuck up on us without being spotted first. So keep your eyes up and support your local sky survey.

Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?

The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time.

The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.

For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.

Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started.

Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.

He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.

But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.

Technologies

The Switch 2 Is Here, and I’ve Scoured the Internet for Every Accessory Available Right Now

Technologies

T-Mobile’s Free Premium iPhone 16 Pro Deal Explained. Learn Exactly How It Works

Along with a free iPhone, you can get an extra $800 to pay off your old device.

If you’re starting a new cell phone plan, most major mobile carriers require a multiyear commitment so it’s a big decision you need to consider carefully. First, think about the plan and provider itself: What’s the best coverage in your area and how many lines do you want to add? Next, compare the best mobile phone plan deals to save yourself the most money

T-Mobile has some fantastic deals right now you can take advantage of that make it a pretty competitive pick — especially for Apple fans looking to upgrade.

T-Mobile’s incentives include free lines and streaming services but one huge highlight is the chance to snag the top-rated iPhone 16 Pro free. The language on some of these offers can be a little confusing so we’ve broken down how T-Mobile’s current deals work below. Note that there aren’t any set expirations for these offers so they could vanish at any moment. We wouldn’t wait too long if you’re hoping to take advantage of these savings.

Why these deals matter

You more or less need a phone with reliable coverage these days but costs can add up quickly. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device or shopping for the best family plans, these T-Mobile deals can help save you some serious cash each month.