[ad_1]
Scientists have discovered that an unusually blue asteroid that whistled dangerously near the Earth last year reflects the light in a particular way. The light that strikes Phaethon is one of the most polarized lights in the solar system. (19459013) NAOJ )
Astronomers who study the near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon have discovered that the strange blue body mysteriously reflects light.
A team of scientists in Japan and South Korea discovered that Phaethon, which came closer to Earth in mid-December last year, reflects much less light than this. that they previously thought.
Discoveries constitute a new mystery that scientists hope to discover in 2022, when Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used the telescope Optical Pirka and 1.6m infrared at the Nayoro Observatory in Hokkaido to examine the surface of Phaethon. reflects the light. The team also includes experts from the Seoul National University and the Chiba Institute of Technology in Narashino, Japan
By studying the polarization of light when it hits the surface of the planet. Asteroid, the researchers observed that Phaethon reflected much less light. body in the solar system. In fact, from some angles, the light that hits Phaethon is the most polarized light that astronomers have ever seen in the solar system.
The study adds another facet to the mystery that is the asteroid Phaeton. When astronomers first discovered Phaethon in the 1980s, they were surprised to find that the surface of the asteroid was blue
Phaethon is also considered the parent body of the Geminid meteor shower which culminates each year. year. Most meteorite rains come from comets, but Phaethon does not display the typical characteristics of the comet.
The asteroid came closer to Earth on December 16, 2017, at a distance of 6.4 million miles. It is not expected that it will come back in 75 years in 2093. At that time, Phaethon will fly over the Earth at a little more than a million miles
How it works the polarization of light
few things come into play. First, the albedo, or the amount of light that the object can reflect, affects the way the light interacts with the object . Second, the angle from which light hits the object also has an effect.
In the new study, published in the journal Nature Communications the goal of the researchers was to observe how light is polarized when it is reflected on the surface of the asteroid.
Visible light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which means that the light that humans can see is actually made of electric and magnetic waves. These waves can vibrate in random directions or they can be aligned in one direction. When the light waves are aligned in one direction, it means that the light is polarized.
On Phaethon, the light waves reflecting its surface are highly polarized, which means that there is much less reflected light on the surface of the asteroid.
Mystery on an Asteroid
The researchers are not sure of the mechanisms that could explain why the light on the blue asteroid is polarized. Asteroids are covered with a rough carpet of cosmic debris. When light hits the surface of an asteroid, the rubble distributes the light so that the waves fire in random directions. One possible explanation is that the Phaethon surface may be darker than expected.
"If the albedo is lower than previously thought, it would reduce the effectiveness of multiple broadcasts," says lead author and assistant professor at the Takashi Astronomical Data Center. Ito, "so that the highly polarized light that has only been reflected once would dominate."
It is also possible that the surface of Phaethon is made of larger grains. When the asteroid moves near the sun, it can heat up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme temperatures create cracks on the surface that resemble mud cracks on a dry lake bed.
See article: 19659021] 30 Gadgets and technical gifts for Father's Day 2018 This dad will think to be Rad
© 2018 Tech Times, all rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
[ad_2]
Source link
