Cohesive forces hold together rapidly spinning small asteroid
Posted: Fri, Aug 15, 2014, 8:34 AM ET (1234 GMT)
A near Earth asteroid that is spinning at a rate higher than thought possible is kept from flying apart by cohesive forces, scientists said this week. The asteroid, 1950 DA, is believed to be a "rubble pile" asteroid based on its density: a conglomeration of rockets held together by self-gravity. Such an asteroid, though, would fly apart if its rotational period was shorter than 2.2 hours, but observations indicated its period was 2.1 hours. Scientists believe that van der Waals force, a weak cohesive force between molecules that also allows geckos to climb walls. If such an asteroid was on a collision course with the Earth, techniques to deflect it like kinetic impactors could instead cause it to break into several smaller pieces on similar trajectories.
A near Earth asteroid that is spinning at a rate higher than thought possible is kept from flying apart by cohesive forces, scientists said this week. The asteroid, 1950 DA, is believed to be a "rubble pile" asteroid based on its density: a conglomeration of rockets held together by self-gravity. Such an asteroid, though, would fly apart if its rotational period was shorter than 2.2 hours, but observations indicated its period was 2.1 hours. Scientists believe that van der Waals force, a weak cohesive force between molecules that also allows geckos to climb walls. If such an asteroid was on a collision course with the Earth, techniques to deflect it like kinetic impactors could instead cause it to break into several smaller pieces on similar trajectories.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, March 31
Astra Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Results
Business Wire — 5:25 am ET (0925 GMT) Richard Branson Satellite Company Virgin Orbit Laying Off 85% of Staff
Business Insider — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Virgin Orbit burns up in uncontrolled descent
TechCrunch — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson’s rocket company, will lay off 85% of staff
CNN — 5:21 am ET (0921 GMT) Virgin Orbit stock plunges after report says company will cease operations
MarketWatch — 5:20 am ET (0920 GMT) |
