New Asteroid discovered near Jupiter
Astronauts have recently discovered a rare space object. The object looks like both asteroid and comet. The new space object is called Active Asteroid
Highlights
The asteroid has been named 2019 LD2. It has an orbit like an asteroid and a tail like a comet. The 2019 LD2 shares the orbit of Jupiter and is a part of the asteroid swarm called Jupiter Trojans.
The space object found is the first that emits gas just like a comet.
The asteroid was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
The Findings
The discovery has also provided evidence that the Jupiter Trojans have large amounts of ice beneath their surfaces. So far, there was no evidence for presence of ice beneath their surface.
How did the tail form?
The unique tail that makes the asteroid look like comet, according to the researchers is probably because of collision. The collision should have led to gas leak from the ice cracking and forming the tail.
Active Asteroids
Active Asteroids are celestial bodies that look like comet and have asteroid like orbit. The first active asteroid discovered was Elst Pizarro.
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Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020