Create accountLogin

Recent searches

No recent searches

Search options

Only available when logged in.
mathstodon.xyz is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
A Mastodon instance for maths people. We have LaTeX rendering in the web interface!

Administered by:

Server stats:

2.9K
active users

mathstodon.xyz: AboutStatusProfiles directoryPrivacy policy

Mastodon: AboutGet the appKeyboard shortcutsView source codev4.3.7

#asteroids

3 posts3 participants0 posts today
Public
Daniel Fischer

Diverse evolutionary pathways of spheroidal #asteroids driven by rotation rate: nature.com/articles/s41598-025 -> "we show that (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu, two near-Earth asteroids with spheroidal shapes, have evolved through distinct pathways despite their similar shapes. [...] Our findings demonstrate that small variations in rotation period, on the scale of a few hours, can drastically change the gravitational field on an asteroid, sometimes even reversing local gravity direction."

NatureDiverse evolutionary pathways of spheroidal asteroids driven by rotation rate - Scientific ReportsAsteroids preserve a continuous record of evolutionary processes since the early solar system. They can take various shapes that represent the cumulative results of their evolution. However, for those showing common characteristics, this does not mean that they followed the same evolutionary path. Here, we show that (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu, two near-Earth asteroids with spheroidal shapes, have evolved through distinct pathways despite their similar shapes. Using high-resolution imagery from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, we map ~ 200,000 boulders and find latitudinal particle size sorting on both bodies. This represents opposite directions of surface material movements driven by their different rotation periods (4.3 h for Bennu and 7.6 h for Ryugu): toward the equator on Bennu and toward the poles on Ryugu. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of large boulders on Bennu suggests a prior slower rotation (> 5 h), implying a past shape evolution similar to that of Ryugu. Our findings demonstrate that small variations in rotation period, on the scale of a few hours, can drastically change the gravitational field on an asteroid, sometimes even reversing local gravity direction. This drives complex and diverse evolutionary pathways of asteroids, resulting in top-shaped bodies and binary systems observed today.
Public
Mikko Tuomi

In the next few months, from its perch atop a mountain in Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will begin surveying the #cosmos with the largest camera ever built.

Every three nights, it will produce a map of the entire southern sky filled with #stars, #galaxies, #asteroids and @supernovae — and swarms of bright #satellites ruining some of the view.

Swarms of satellites are harming #astronomy.

Here’s how researchers are fighting back.

nature.com/articles/d41586-025

www.nature.comSwarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting backSpaceX and other companies plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites, which could mar astronomical observations and pollute the atmosphere.
Public
Crescendo Himmelweiss

The hostile dinosaurs once had a complex military system and launched small asteroids at their #dinosaur enemies.

They also had such #technology and launched larger asteroids at their enemies.

These in turn launched larger #asteroids at their enemies, and so it came to pass - how could it be otherwise - that the largest asteroid ever to hit the Earth destroyed all the dinosaurs.

It is therefore not known whether the word #peace existed in their language.

A group of military-looking dinosaurs that look up into the sky when a meteor ignites the atmosphere. KI-generated
Replied in thread
Public
Spaceflight 🚀

The 20-inch diameter #telescope 🔭 will carry out a five-year baseline survey to find at least two-thirds of the unknown #NEOs ☄️ larger than 140 meters 📏. It will launch around 📆 September 2027 to detect and observe #asteroids and comets that could potentially pose an impact 💥 threat to Earth aerotime.aero/articles/spacex-

AeroTime · SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch NASA’s asteroid hunter telescopeNASA has chosen SpaceX to launch an advanced asteroid hunter telescope that will detect and observe asteroids that could pose an impact threat to Earth.
#AsteroidThreat#NASA#Astronomy
SearchLive feeds
About