Technologies

NASA will chase down the smallest asteroid ever visited by a spacecraft

The Artemis I mission will do more than check out the moon. It will also release the NEA Scout solar-sail spacecraft.

Most of the excitement around NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission is about testing out the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as a precursor to sending people back to the moon. But Artemis I will also launch a nifty side mission, the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout spacecraft.

NEA Scout is a dainty CubeSat and NASA says it will «chase down what will become the smallest asteroid ever to be visited by a spacecraft.» Its target is 2020 GE, an asteroid smaller than a school bus. The space rock measures in at under 60 feet (18 meters).

Visiting a tiny asteroid is cool enough, but the way NEA Scout will get around is even cooler. «It will get there by unfurling a solar sail to harness solar radiation for propulsion, making this the agency’s first deep space mission of its kind,» said NASA in a statement on Thursday.

Solar sail technology is a relatively new frontier. The sailing metaphor is apt, though the tiny spacecraft rely on photon particles from the sun rather than wind. The Planetary Society launched a successful demonstration of the tech with the LightSail 2 CubeSat in 2019.

NEA Scout’s solar sail is made from super-thin plastic-coated aluminum and will unfurl to the size of a racquetball court. The CubeSat is about the size of a shoebox.

NASA plans to study 2020 GE and find out if it’s one solid object or a tight collection of smaller rocks. «Although large asteroids are of most concern from a planetary defense perspective, objects like 2020 GE are far more common and can pose a hazard to our planet, despite their smaller size,» said NEA Scout principal science investigator Julie Castillo-Rogez.

Artemis I is expected to launch this year, perhaps as early as March or April. If all goes well, NEA Scout will look to meet up with its asteroid in late 2023.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 12 #649

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 12, No. 649.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle will appeal to literature lovers and English majors (like me). Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Shakespearean titles.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Famous plays.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

MUST, CANT, RANT, RACE, CARE, CHARD, CHANT, HARD, SIDE, HIDE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

MERRY, SHREW, TEMPEST, TWELFTH, MERCHANT, MIDSUMMER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is THEBARD. To find it, start with the T that’s four letters down on the far-left row, and wind across.

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Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

I Love Super Mario Bros Wonder and It’s at a New All-Time Low, but Only for Today

One of the most inventive Switch games made is down to just $40 right now.

The holidays are nearly here, and that means it’s time to lock in and sort out the gifts you need to get. If you’re looking to buy something the whole family can enjoy, then looking to the best gaming gifts makes perfect sense. There are some amazing deals on right now, and if you’re buying for someone with a Switch, this one is a must-have.

Woot has a deal that knocks the amazing Super Mario Bros Wonder down to $40, which is the lowest price it’s ever been. This is a whimsical and wonderful platform game that’s going to have you all laughing out loud in each level, but the deal is only on until the end of the day. So, if you want it, don’t wait around.

Super Mario Bros Wonder takes the classic platformer and puts an incredible twist on it in every single level. The story has you following Bowser as he causes chaos in a new kingdom, but with Wonder Seeds all over the place, reality itself often ends up changing. It’s a fun and intensely silly affair, and you can even play it with up to four players, making it the perfect game for the holiday season.

This being the lowest price we’ve seen for this amazing game easily makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch deals. It’s going to end tonight, though, so if you want it, get it quickly.

Why this deal matters

Super Mario Bros Wonder is undoubtedly one of the coolest Mario games we’ve had in a very long time, and one of the best games released for the Nintendo Switch. It’s rare to see first-party Nintendo games go on sale with this much off, so this is a very rare chance.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Dec. 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.