Scientists have discovered binary asteroid

Double asteroid located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

An international team of scientists discovered a binary asteroid, two celestial bodies are bound by gravity.

Double asteroid located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The two parts are spinning at the distance of 96 kilometers from each other.

The asteroid 2006 VW139 (288P) was opened in 2006 among many other things, but then not attracted the attention of scientists. But, as shown by recent observations using the Hubble telescope, this asteroid showed a typical comet feature – an elongated tail. The usual asteroids are composed of solid rock and its tail is not formed.

In addition, Jessica Agarwal from the Institute of Solar system research max Planck Society and her colleagues showed that 2006 VW139 is not a single body, but double, consisting of a pair of equal objects.

“We found clear evidence of the process of the sublimation of water ice under the influence of the increasing solar radiation. The same thing happens in the formation of the tails of comets,” says Jessica Agarwal.

Researchers believe that the asteroid 2006 VW139 split about 5,000 years ago due to strong rotation and steam flows, which are pushed away of each other. But the question remains, why binary system like this can be formed in the inner part of the Solar system, that is, to the orbit of Jupiter.

paradox