Near Earth Asteroids Vary Widely in Composition, Origin

From the Spitzer website: New research from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals that asteroids somewhat near Earth, termed near-Earth objects, are a mixed bunch, with a surprisingly wide array of compositions. Like a piñata filled with everything from chocolates to fruity candies, these asteroids come in assorted colors and compositions. Some are dark and dull; [...]

The asteroid Eros, as seen by the NEAR mission. Credit: NASAFrom the Spitzer website:New research from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals that asteroids somewhat near Earth, termed near-Earth objects, are a mixed bunch, with a surprisingly wide array of compositions. Like a piñata filled with everything from chocolates to fruity candies, these asteroids come in assorted colors and compositions. Some are dark and dull; others are shiny and bright. The Spitzer observations of 100 known near-Earth asteroids demonstrate that the objects' diversity is greater than previously thought.(...)Read the rest of Near Earth Asteroids Vary Widely in Composition, Origin (572 words)© nancy for Universe Today, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
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