The Hubble telescope has discovered an unusual double asteroid-comet

2017-09-22 13:43

The Hubble telescope has discovered an unusual double asteroid-comet
The property consists of two asteroids that revolve around each other.

An international group of scientists using a telescope “Hubble” found in the main belt asteroid of an unusual object that consists of two asteroids that revolve around each other with the formation of a “cometary” tail and a bright halo, reports Rus.Media. About opening of scientists, according to NASA.

The Hubble took a picture of the asteroid 300163 (2006 VW139) in September 2016, just before he was nearest to the Sun point. Made by the telescope helped scientists to see that in fact the asteroid is not alone, but consists of a pair of objects of approximately the same mass orbiting each other at a distance of 90 kilometers.

“We found clear evidence of the process of sublimation of water ice under the action of solar radiation, which increases, as happens in the formation of the tails of comets,” – said the head of the group of researchers Jessica Agarwal.

According to scientists, discovered the object was a dual structure about five thousand years ago. Most likely, it was formed as a result of the breakup of a larger body, the two parts of which flew a short distance through the process of sublimation of ice.