Study Puts Solar Spin on Asteroids, their Moons & Earth Impacts
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - 12:28
in Astronomy & Space
Asteroids with moons, which scientists call binary asteroids, are common in the solar system. A longstanding question has been how most such moons are formed. A trio of astronomers from Maryland and France say the surprising answer is sunlight. Their findings match observations and give information important for deflecting threatening asteroids away from Earth.