Hubble observes asteroid breaking apart
Posted: Fri, Mar 7, 2014, 7:12 AM ET (1212 GMT)
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal an asteroid breaking apart into as many as ten pieces, perhaps due to the subtle influence of the Sun. Hubble images of P/2013 R3, taken between October and January, show the object breaking up into several smaller pieces, the largest of which are up to 400 meters in diameter. The asteroid, discovered in September, was initially categorized as a comet given its fuzzy appearance in telescopes. Astronomers now believe the object is an asteroid that has fractures and is surrounded by a coma of dust from that breakup. Astronomers don't believe a collision caused the breakup, and have ruled out heating of ices in the interior as an alternative cause. Instead, astronomers think the most likely cause is that sunlight gradually sped up the rotation rate of the asteroid to the point where centrifugal forces caused the object to fly apart.
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal an asteroid breaking apart into as many as ten pieces, perhaps due to the subtle influence of the Sun. Hubble images of P/2013 R3, taken between October and January, show the object breaking up into several smaller pieces, the largest of which are up to 400 meters in diameter. The asteroid, discovered in September, was initially categorized as a comet given its fuzzy appearance in telescopes. Astronomers now believe the object is an asteroid that has fractures and is surrounded by a coma of dust from that breakup. Astronomers don't believe a collision caused the breakup, and have ruled out heating of ices in the interior as an alternative cause. Instead, astronomers think the most likely cause is that sunlight gradually sped up the rotation rate of the asteroid to the point where centrifugal forces caused the object to fly apart.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, June 20
The first ‘Made in Belgium’ Commercial Satellite for the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a Landmark Contract for Spacebel
Spacebel — 11:50 am ET (1550 GMT) KP Labs and NaviGate explore onboard autonomy opportunities through navigation and edge processing technologies
press release — 11:04 am ET (1504 GMT) AAS Honors Reps. Don Bacon and Judy Chu with Award for Public Service to the Astronomical Sciences
American Astronomical Society — 11:00 am ET (1500 GMT) MDA Space buying U.S. company Blue Canyon Technologies
Canadian Press — 6:56 am ET (1056 GMT) MDA Space Buys RTX’s Satellite Unit Blue Canyon Technologies
Aviation Week — 6:56 am ET (1056 GMT) |
