light curve

Illustration of two colliding asteroids. Credit: Europlanet / T. Roger

Gaia solves the mystery of asteroid rotation: Collisions and internal friction reveal the structure of "debris piles"

Analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission reveals a sharp gap in the rotation patterns of asteroids – the result of a struggle between collisions and internal friction – and provides a new tool for deciphering the internal structure