Asteroid 90 Antiope was considered one asteroid until the year 2000, and it turns out that it consists of two asteroids of similar size orbiting a common center
Astronomers have discovered many double asteroids in the solar system in recent years. Instead of a single space rock, if they discovered two objects orbiting a common center of gravity. A study published in the 2007 issue of the journal Icarus focused on one of these double objects - the double asteroid 90 Antiope.
In 2000, the astronauts did not know that Antiope is a double object. However, new telescopes such as the ten-meter KC-2 telescope in Hawaii have succeeded, using a corrective optics system to discriminate them. Recent observations made with the very large telescope - 8 meters in diameter at the European Southern Observatory have revealed new details - according to which 90 Antiope contains two egg-shaped mounds of dirt surrounding each other. Each of the asteroids has a diameter of about 85 km and the distance between them is 171 km.
In one of the observations, in 2005, astronomers all over the world focused on seeing the pair causing an eclipse. During the period, a shadow from one of the asteroids fell on the other, causing the next amount of light to fall from the pair. Just in time on May 31, 2005, the eclipse occurred and astronomers could use it to measure the size and distance of the asteroids from each other.
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And know that you are doing an excellent job on this site, you have a fascinating future ahead of you. I hope that our paths will cross one day.
Do you know that there is a tenth star to the sun's spinner its nickname is TL 1996 66 its diameter is 480 km the size of the state of Texas it is completely covered in ice and completes one revolution of the sun every 800 years it was named star x
The solar system is a rather remote corner within the galaxy, it is right on the side about 32000 light years from its center. Did you know that we discovered a star at a distance of 150 light from us that has an atmosphere and revolves around its sun?
It is only in recent years that many asteroids are discovered to be double, although it is usually a large asteroid and its moon (as in the case of Ida), and the fact that the two are similar in size is rare, but this happens due to the collisions that were in the asteroid belt. Although the phenomenon continues, but not as it was in the early days of the solar system.
The star's fate is determined that they will crash into it when the first asteroid hits the ground, its twin will be doubled in the force of the collision * You did not mention how far they are from the Earth and is there a possibility of mass destruction? Did he come from the asteroid belt or from somewhere else?