Asteroids near the Earth have a porous structure

Data from Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft show that the Ryugu asteroid is highly porous, similar to "frozen coffee water".

Photo of asteroid Ryugu from the Hayabusa2 ship.(Photo: Nature).

Ryugu is one of the most studied asteroids in the universe. It is not only a "time capsule " about the history of the formation of the solar system, but also potentially dangerous with orbits that can reach extremely close to Earth and are large enough (1 km wide) to cause damage. serious in case of collision with our planet.

According to a new study published in Nature on March 16, Japanese astronomers revealed that Ryugu is a highly porous asteroid with about 50% of its volume being holes. This strengthened the theory that the 700 million-year-old object was formed from a "rubble" after a larger stone object collapsed.

The team, led by scientist Tatsuaki Okada of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, used the Hayabusa2 to measure the asteroid's maximum temperature in full rotation. The heat map shows that most of the planet's surface is "cool", with the blue areas having temperatures around 27 ° C, the yellow regions around 57 ° C and some red spots (areas with dense rock density). condensate) with a temperature of 87 ° C.

Heat map of Ryugu asteroid.(Photo: Science News).

Observing how the asteroid's surface holds and releases heat can provide clues about its composition and structure. High-density rocks will pick up heat slowly and retain heat longer, while porous rocks show rapid temperature changes, like sand on a beach, Okada explained.

The new finding could be significant in studying the origin of the solar system. Many astronomers believe our Solar System was originally a "violent place", with objects colliding endlessly before fragments accumulate, forming planets and asteroids like the day. now on.

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