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
|
|
Blue Origin describes plans for increased New Glenn launch rates
Posted: Sat, Oct 17 11:41 AM ET (1541 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, October 21
Lunar Link complete and ready for a new adventure
ESA — 6:58 am ET (1058 GMT) ‘European Starlink’ to be rolled out across Arctic
The Daily Telegraph — 6:57 am ET (1057 GMT) NASA administrator, Space Force General, talk Artemis and Golden Dome during UND visit
Univ. of North Dakota — 6:50 am ET (1050 GMT) Space Force aims to beef up guardian presence for Centcom and other combatant commands
Defensescoop — 6:50 am ET (1050 GMT) Iridium Announces Third Quarter 2026 Results
PR Newswire — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) |
