Asteroids that speed up unexpectedly may be ‘dark comets’ in disguise
21 March 2023
Some asteroids appear to accelerate in ways that can’t be accounted for by gravity, suggesting they might be firing out invisible jets of gas - like those of comets
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Found 6 results for asteroid
We can send a probe to interstellar comet Borisov – but not until 2030
6 October 2019
Astronomers are racing to learn about only the second interstellar object ever seen. We now know it contains cyanide gas – and we could send a probe to visit it
We’ve spotted a strange asteroid that’s spinning itself to pieces
4 May 2019
There’s a new type of asteroid that has a tail like a comet because it’s spinning so fast it’s constantly falling apart and leaving a trail of debris behind it
Interstellar asteroid ‘Oumuamua slipped by NASA space telescope unseen
7 December 2018
The Spitzer Space Telescope failed to spot ‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object we’ve ever seen, but we were still able to learn something about this strange space rock
Interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua may be a comet, not an asteroid
27 June 2018
The path of the “interstellar asteroid” discovered last year can’t be explained by gravity alone - it was also pushed along by gas, so it might actually be a comet
Mysterious streaks seen on Saturn’s moons could be ancient rings
12 December 2017
A series of parallel lines on Saturn’s moons Dione and Rhea have scientists scratching their heads. Could they be a sign of rings that crashed to the surface?
