Asteroids that speed up unexpectedly may be ‘dark comets’ in disguise

1 year ago 68

Space

Some asteroids look to accelerate successful ways that can’t beryllium accounted for by gravity, suggesting they mightiness beryllium firing retired invisible jets of gas

By Jonathan O’Callaghan

Astronomers accidental they person recovered a people of objects that blurs the enactment betwixt asteroids and comets, appearing to occurrence jets of state that can’t beryllium seen with telescopes.

Comets are known to periodically emit bursts of state and particulate arsenic the prima melts their icy surfaces. These events springiness disconnected arsenic overmuch arsenic 10 kilograms of particulate per second, which reflects sunlight and makes the bursts visible, often contributing to a process down the comet. Asteroids, being rockier, don’t nutrient specified bursts. …

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