NASA astronomers discover a rare double asteroid

L & # 39; Asteroid close to the Earth, 2017 YE5, was spotted for the first time by the Morocco Oukaimeden Sky Survey. 2017. (Image: NASA)

An asteroid that made a closer approach to Earth last month is actually two objects in orbit one on the other, reveal new sightings by three of the largest radio telescopes in the world. New observations obtained between June 21 and June 26 indicate that the two objects, each about 900 meters, turn around each other every 20 to 24 hours, NASA said. Thursday in a statement. The near-Earth asteroid, 2017 YE5, was spotted for the first time with observations provided by the Morocco Oukaimeden Sky Survey on December 21, 2017, but no details on the physical properties of the asteroid n & # 39, was known until the end of June this year. 21, the 2017 YE5 asteroid made its approach closest to Earth for at least the next 170 years, arriving six million kilometers from the Earth, about 16 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. On June 21st and 22nd, NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar (GSSR) observations in California showed early signs that 2017 YE5 could be a binary system. The observations revealed two distinct lobes, but the orientation of the asteroid was such that scientists could not see if the two bodies were separated or joined. Eventually, both objects turned to expose a separate gap between them.

Scientists at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico had already planned to observe 2017 YE5, and they were alerted by their colleagues at Goldstone to the unique properties of the asteroid. On June 24, scientists teamed up with researchers from the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) in West Virginia, USA, and used the two observatories in a bi-static radar configuration (Arecibo transmits radar signal and Green Bank receives the

Read also: NASA needs an emergency plan to equip the ISS, after capsule delays

Together, they were able to confirm that 2017 YE5 is composed of two separate objects.On June 26, Goldstone and Arecibo both confirmed the binary nature of the asteroid, according to NASA

For all the latest technological news, download Indian Express App