The asteroid is located around 214 million miles from the Sun.
The Hubble Space Telescope—jointly operated by NASA and the European Space Agency—has captured spectacular images of a rare event: an asteroid which is spinning so fast that it is self-destructing.
The sharp images enabled the researchers to infer that this ejection of material occurred in short episodes, which could have lasted anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Researchers say that 6478 Gault is only the second asteroid which has been observed disintegrating as a result of a process known as the YORP effect. This phenomenon occurs when sunlight heats an asteroid and causes it to spin faster and faster to the point where the object becomes unstable.
The Hubble imaging of the asteroid was just one part of an international collaborative effort involving several other observatories aiming to understand the nature of the self-destructing object. The results of this effort are scheduled to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Observing such a rare event gives astronomers a prime opportunity to study the composition of these objects—without sending a spacecraft to the object—in an endeavour which could provide valuable insights into how planets formed in the early years of the Solar System.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
America's 1st woman astronaut to walk in space explains the history of NASA spacesuit sizingAmerica's first woman astronaut to walk in space explains the history of NASA spacesuit sizing.
Read more »
Pence Gives Boeing's Super Rocket Thumbs Up, Directs NASA To Accelerate Moon WorkThe Trump administration wants American astronauts back on the Moon before Chinese astronauts get there, and further delays in Boeing's Space Launch System will not be tolerated.
Read more »
NASA cancels first all-female spacewalk because of spacesuit shortageNASA has called off the first all-female spacewalk scheduled for Friday because there weren't enough space suits to fit both women. Christina Koch will now conduct the spacewalk with male astronaut Nick Hague
Read more »
We called NASA to talk about the spacesuits and a fascinating conversation followedThe answer has to do with how the human body can change size while in space, making it critical to get the right-fitting spacesuit.
Read more »
NASA nixes female mission after spacesuit blunder - Reuters TVWhat should have been a giant leap for womankind has turned into a stumble on the path to equality after U.S. space agency NASA cancelled the first all-female spacewalk due to a lack of a spacesuit in the right size.
Read more »
Networks of cameras are making it easier to track meteorsThe NASA All-sky Fireball Network identifies meteorites to protect spacecraft from collisions
Read more »
NASA and the White House want billions so companies will compete to build human moon landersIn a potential boon for companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, NASA is asking for $363 million next year to accelerate a program that would develop spacecraft for flying humans to and from the moon.
Read more »
NASA cancels all-female spacewalk because it doesn’t have two spacesuits the right sizeFriday’s spacewalk will now feature a male-female pair because the International Space Station doesn’t have a second medium-size spacesuit.
Read more »