Giant KBO victim of massive collision
Posted: Thu, Mar 15, 2007, 8:35 AM ET (1235 GMT)
A giant, oblong-shaped Kuiper Belt object (KBO) in the outer solar system likely got its odd shape as the result of a collision early in the history of the solar system. In a paper published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, Caltech scientists said that they believe 2003 EL61 was originally a spherical body nearly the size of Pluto. About 4.5 billion years ago, however, it collided with a slightly smaller body, leaving behind a fast-spinning main body similar in shape to a football, as well as at least two moons and a number of smaller bodies made predominately of ice.
A giant, oblong-shaped Kuiper Belt object (KBO) in the outer solar system likely got its odd shape as the result of a collision early in the history of the solar system. In a paper published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, Caltech scientists said that they believe 2003 EL61 was originally a spherical body nearly the size of Pluto. About 4.5 billion years ago, however, it collided with a slightly smaller body, leaving behind a fast-spinning main body similar in shape to a football, as well as at least two moons and a number of smaller bodies made predominately of ice.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX sets Nov. 18 launch date for sixth Starship test flight
Posted: Sat, Nov 9 9:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, November 21
TRISH to conduct space health research on New Shepard space missions
Baylor College of Medicine — 1:13 am ET (0613 GMT) Sierra Space’s Commercial Space Station Technology Nears Certification
Sierra Space — 1:12 am ET (0612 GMT) Sen. Tommy Tuberville confident Space Command will move to Huntsville once Trump in office
WAAY-TV Huntsville, AL — 1:11 am ET (0611 GMT) Bengaluru Tech Summit: Draft Karnataka Space Tech policy launched
Business Standard — 1:06 am ET (0606 GMT) Working together in space can enhance worldly ties between Australia and Japan
The Interpreter — 1:06 am ET (0606 GMT) |
