Near-Earth asteroid a "rubble pile"
Posted: Fri, Jun 2, 2006, 8:42 AM ET (1242 GMT)
A small near-Earth asteroid recently visited by a Japanese spacecraft is little more than a "rubble pile" of loosely-pack debris from other asteroid collisions, scientists conclude. In papers published in this week's issue of the journal Science, planetary scientists said studies of the asteroid Itokawa by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa showed that the asteroid's surface was littered with small boulders and gravel, leading scientists to conclude that the asteroid is not a monolithic rock but instead debris from a previous asteroid collision held together by its own gravity. The asteroid has a porosity of 40%, further evidence that the object is loosely packed together. Spectroscopic analysis of the asteroid turned up evidence of iron and minerals such as olivine and pyroxene, although no signs of differentiation.
A small near-Earth asteroid recently visited by a Japanese spacecraft is little more than a "rubble pile" of loosely-pack debris from other asteroid collisions, scientists conclude. In papers published in this week's issue of the journal Science, planetary scientists said studies of the asteroid Itokawa by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa showed that the asteroid's surface was littered with small boulders and gravel, leading scientists to conclude that the asteroid is not a monolithic rock but instead debris from a previous asteroid collision held together by its own gravity. The asteroid has a porosity of 40%, further evidence that the object is loosely packed together. Spectroscopic analysis of the asteroid turned up evidence of iron and minerals such as olivine and pyroxene, although no signs of differentiation.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, January 30
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser Spaceplane Successfully Passes NASA Testing Milestone in Preparation for Launch
Sierra Space — 5:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Dream Chaser Clears Key Pre-Space Mission Test Hurdle
Aviation Week — 5:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Texas Space Commission approves $21.5 million in grants
San Antonio Express-News — 5:23 am ET (1023 GMT) Britain takes stake in SpaceX rival Orbex to boost space ambitions
CNBC — 5:20 am ET (1020 GMT) Scandinavian Airlines partners with SpaceX for free in-flight Starlink services
Teslarati — 5:20 am ET (1020 GMT) |
