A research team believes hard-to-destroy asteroids made from loose rubble and dust may be quite common in our solar system.
released late last year suggest that the resulting ejecta plume, like air rushing out from a balloon, created an extra push; the momentum transferred into Dimorphos was nearly four times greater than an impact event that produced no plume. It’s very likely that a plume of this bulk would not form on a monolithic asteroid, and that the observed effect is a distinct consequence of Dimorphos’s porous nature.
to respond. It’s possible, for example, to detect an inevitable impact within a few months, rather than years or decades. But to be clear, Jourdan isn’t advocating for the destruction of threatening rubble pile asteroids—a feat his team’s research suggests is practically impossible. Rather, planetary defenders should consider the possibility of blasting a nuclear device near the asteroid in an attempt to deflect it, he said.
n get complicated very quickly, rather than just being able to say that porosity is the most important factor.” It could very well be true, he said, that a gigantic pile of gravel won’t be as easy to deflect as a single rock owing to its porosity.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rubble-pile asteroids are 'giant space cushions' that live foreverSharmila is a Seattle-based science journalist. She found her love for astronomy in Carl Sagan's The Pale Blue Dot and has been hooked ever since. She holds an MA in Journalism from Northeastern University and has been a contributing writer for Astronomy Magazine since 2017. Follow her on Twitter at Sharmilakg.
Read more »
What scientists say about the real-life zombie fungi that inspired 'The Last of Us' | CNNFungi like the threat depicted in HBO's new show are real and numerous, infecting a wide variety of insects, including butterflies, moths and beetles — and at least 35 species of the group Ophiocordyceps perform 'mind control' on their hosts. But scientists say you don't need a zombie survival kit just yet.
Read more »
The Human Microbiome Might Be Contagious, Scientists SayThe community of people living around you could influence the community of microbes living inside of you.
Read more »
The Reason Why 2,000-Year-Old Roman Concrete is Still so StrongThe trick to ancient Rome’s sturdiest structures, scientists say, is in the imperfections.
Read more »