Asteroid Odd Couple: Spitting Space-Rock Duo Is Truly Bizarre
In the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, scientists have discovered a pair of space rocks, collectively called 288P, that don't behave like anything previously observed in that region. The rocks' strange characteristics could provide new clues about the formation of planets in the solar system, the scientists said.
The two asteroids, collectively known as 288P, are locked in orbit around each other and are also spewing water vapor into space like comets (which originate in the region beyond Neptune). Many asteroids between Jupiter and Mars can claim one of those characteristics (orbiting one another or releasing vapor), but this is the first time that researchers have identified an object with both features, the researchers said.
https://www.space.com/38214-spitting-asteroids-hubble-telescope-discovery.html
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