Posted on Friday, November 08, 2013
If you mention something having a tail in the Solar System, mostly everyone would guess you're talking about a comet.
Now scientists have found an asteroid that has six tails.
However they aren't like comet's tails.
Scientists think that the tails have been caused by impulsive dust-ejection events and it seems to have been periodical.
The asteroid designated P/2013 P5 was first discovered on August 27th, 2013 with the PanSTARRS telescope, while the tails were discovered with the Hubble telescope in September.
Although having tails might make this asteroid look like a comet, then it appears that asteroid P/2013 P5 is a fragment of a larger asteroid that broke apart about 200 million years ago and as some meteorites from similar fragments have been observed then scientists think it doesn't contain any ice, as the meteorites show evidence of having been heated to more than 800 degrees Celsius.
Now scientists have found an asteroid that has six tails.
However they aren't like comet's tails.
Scientists think that the tails have been caused by impulsive dust-ejection events and it seems to have been periodical.
The asteroid designated P/2013 P5 was first discovered on August 27th, 2013 with the PanSTARRS telescope, while the tails were discovered with the Hubble telescope in September.
Although having tails might make this asteroid look like a comet, then it appears that asteroid P/2013 P5 is a fragment of a larger asteroid that broke apart about 200 million years ago and as some meteorites from similar fragments have been observed then scientists think it doesn't contain any ice, as the meteorites show evidence of having been heated to more than 800 degrees Celsius.
Labels: asteroid P/2013 P5, news