Scientists have discovered around Jupiter unusual asteroid
An international team of astronomers has discovered the first asteroid retrograde, moving coorbital in relation to the planet.
Orbit and orbital period 2015 BZ509 roughly corresponds to the orbit of Jupiter, but it is celestial body moving towards the planet. As the researchers note, the celestial body moving in such an orbit is about a million years. About his discovery, the researchers reported in the journal Nature.
The vast majority of celestial bodies in the Solar system revolve around the Sun counterclockwise when viewed from North of the Ecliptic pole. It is believed that this is due to the rotation of the protoplanetary disk. However, among the more than 700 thousand known asteroids have retrograde 82 object rotating clockwise. In the study, scientists observed the asteroid 2015 BZ509, which was opened in 2015, then the orbit of a celestial body were not entirely clear, but researchers suggested that it may be retrograde.
Now, however, scientists were able to determine that the celestial body is not only retrograde, but also moves around the Sun with the same period as Jupiter.
Astronomers are unable to determine the nature of retrograde object according to one of the assumptions, it could be a comet, but at the time of close approach to the Sun 2015 BZ509 showed no signs of a cometary coma. The authors klassificeret it as Object.
© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.
