Occultation sheds light on KBO
Posted: Thu, Jun 17, 2010, 6:54 AM ET (1054 GMT)
Planetary astronomers have made the first observation of a Kuiper Belt object (KBO) occulting a star, providing information on its size and albedo. An MIT-led time, reporting in this week's issue of the journal Nature, reported on observations of a KBO designated 55636 as it passed in front of a bright star last October. Astronomers used the observations to determine the KBO's radius, 143 kilometers, and its albedo. They found the object is highly reflective, a surprising result since other objects in the outer solar system have darker surfaces as solar radiation darkens icy surfaces and as dust accumulates.
Planetary astronomers have made the first observation of a Kuiper Belt object (KBO) occulting a star, providing information on its size and albedo. An MIT-led time, reporting in this week's issue of the journal Nature, reported on observations of a KBO designated 55636 as it passed in front of a bright star last October. Astronomers used the observations to determine the KBO's radius, 143 kilometers, and its albedo. They found the object is highly reflective, a surprising result since other objects in the outer solar system have darker surfaces as solar radiation darkens icy surfaces and as dust accumulates.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
FAA restricts hours for commercial launches during shutdown
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 9:05 AM ET (1405 GMT) China postpones Shenzhou-20 return on orbital debris concerns
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 8:58 AM ET (1358 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, November 11
Kazakh farmers put Starlink on horses and dogs to herd livestock
Intellinews — 5:07 am ET (1007 GMT) Rocket Lab Shares Surge With Bigger Launch Planned for 2026
Wall Street Journal — 5:05 am ET (1005 GMT) FAA Order Restricting Launch Hours Could Affect Upcoming SpaceX Missions from Vandenberg
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 5:00 am ET (1000 GMT) SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast
WESH-TV Orlando — 5:00 am ET (1000 GMT) Airbus ships fourth European Service Module for Artemis IV
Airbus Group — 4:59 am ET (0959 GMT) |
