Hayabusa2 is heading home to Earth , but scientist persist in to review data point pull together by the space vehicle during its visit to the Ryugu asteroid , include its abbreviated moment on the surface . raw images are providing an unprecedented look at this gigantic pile of tilt , as well as a potential explanation for its eldritch , two - tone control surface .
fresh processed image show the surface of Ryugu at resolution reaching 1 millimeter per pel , according to newresearchpublished in Science . These unprecedented close - ups are allowing researchers to consider the asteroid in detail , including the ways in which Hayabusa2 ’s touchdown affect the surface . Fascinatingly , the new field offers an explanation for the asteroid ’s odd coloration : a short but acute stint near the Sun . This latest research was co - authored by Tomokatsu Morota from the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of Tokyo .
The range of a function were taken on February 21 , 2019 , when Hayabusa2 made thefirstof its two touchdown . At the point of contact , the probeshot a projectileonto the aerofoil , producing a junk field . Thesecond touchdownhappened on July 11 , 2019 , when the probe tuck stuff from further below the surface . A special container ( hopefully ) scooped up some of these rocks and dust , which are currentlyen routeto Earth . Hayabusa2 , a mission run by the Japanese Space Agency ( JAXA ) , is wait to return home with its load in December 2020 .
An exquisite close-up view of Ryugu’s surface.Image: (JAXA/U. Tokyo/Kochi U./Rikkyo U./Nagoya U./Chiba Inst. Tech./Meiji U./U. Aizu/AIST)
Ryugu is around 300 million kilometre ( 186 million miles ) from Earth and evaluate 870 meters ( 2,854 feet ) in diam . The asteroid is influence like a spinning top , and it ’s basically a rubble pile . As the researchers point out in the Modern paper , Ryugu shape from an ancient shock that caused it to decay into smaller bits , which have re - make into a singular form , yet loose , structure .
Hayabusa2 ’s television camera captured the landing place situation and surrounding area in fantastic detail , in which many rocks and pebbles are visible . scientist can now determine the age of this carbon - rich asteroid and better characterise its geological account .
One of the more enigmatic aspects of Ryugu has to do with two dissimilar type of surface material , one that give off a reddish chromaticity at the asteroid ’s mid - latitude neighborhood and the other a blue appearance along its equatorial sharpness and arctic region . The asteroid ’s bowlder tend to be blue , while the fine - grain material around them are red . volcanic crater with drab Earth’s surface material incline to be younger than craters with red stuff . The reason for these polka - dotted features and the asteroid ’s varied color palette has eluded scientists .
Global map of Ryugu, showing the asteroid’s blue and red spectral features.Image: (Morota et al., 2020)
In a happy accident , Hayabusa2 manage to capture before - and - after pics of the airfoil , showing the landing area as it was prior to the projectile strike and also after . The new study describes how the landing place kicked up a finishing of dark , OK - grain material , which bechance to correspond with the asteroid ’s redder section . A comparison of these materials had led to an interesting new theory .
“ We suggest that a surface redden event within a light period of time could be explain if Ryugu undergo a temporary orbital excursion near the Sun , causing higher surface heating , ” wrote the research worker in the study .
As for when the reddening issue happened , that ’s not entirely clear . Using mannequin to estimate the frequency of collisions over time , the authors presented two theory , reckon on the asteroid ’s orbital chronicle and prison term spent in its birthplace — the main asteroid knock between Mars and Jupiter .
Side-by-side views of Ryugu’s surface and the distribution of different materials.Image: (Morota et al., 2020)
“ After the control surface reddening issue , the redder materials were interrupt and redistributed by impact , thermic fatigue , and mess wasting [ slope social movement ] from the equator to mid - latitude part , ” indite the author . “ A layer of miscellaneous red and blasphemous material subsequently formed on Ryugu ’s surface . ”
If the asteroid failed to leave its birthplace , the Earth’s surface reddening could ’ve happened 300,000 age ago , but if it strayed away from the main smash , the redden date as far back as 8.5 million year ago , according to the enquiry . Ryugu itself is estimated to be 9 million year old .
Another possible action consider by the researchers is quad weathering , which can also make the Earth’s surface to flush . But this was ruled out by the researchers , because space weathering typically affects a thin stratum of around 100 nm . Solar heating , on the other handwriting , can imbue the aerofoil for decade of centimeters , which matches the profundity of cerise materials on Ryugu .
https://gizmodo.com/dramatic-video-shows-the-moment-hayabusa2-made-its-seco-1836849254
A coolheaded part of this deputation is that Hayabusa2 will yield to Earth with a potpourri of both drear and reddened material , assuming the sampling aggregation was successful , allowing the scientists to search all these possibility further .
asteroidsHayabusa2Science
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