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August 24, 2019
The asteroid "Rio" slowly reveals its secrets to the small Franco-German robot "Mascot", who took him new images that will help scientists deepen their understanding of the formation of the solar system.
The mascot, abbreviated Mobile Steroid Service Scout, was aboard the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa 2 before landing on the surface of the asteroid, which extends over 900 meters in a certain distance between Mars and Earth, October 3, 2018..
Mascot took a series of samples and took pictures during his 17-hour mission. Scientists are currently analyzing this data.
They could distinguish two types of rocks and blocks, the dark and coarse teak on the one hand and those in clear and soft on the other.
Professor Ralf Yauman of the German Center for Aeronautics and Aeronautics (DLR), lead author of the study, published his findings Thursday in the journal Science.
The asteroid could be the "fruit" of two astronomical objects that collided and then separated before fusing due to the force of gravity, the researchers said.
Another hypothesis is that the asteroid collided with another astronomical object, which resulted in the formation of two types of rocks.
They also identified rocks with blue and red shapes that were probably suspended in the rock during their formation, resembling primitive meteorite stones found on the ground.
These very primitive materials would help scientists understand how the solar system was formed.
Mascot also showed that there were no tiny cosmic particles or nebulae on the surface of the asteroid, which was supposed to form this dust after millions of years in space.
This can be due to shocks with other astronomical objects or to changes in temperature.
The Ryugu study is also vital to the survival of humanity: other asteroids similar to Ryugu and closer to Earth could one day go to Earth and collide with it.
AP
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