The two space rocks, located in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter, are collectively known as
288P and represent the first known binary asteroid
which is also classified as a main-belt comet.
Comet-like features exhibited by the binary asteroid
include a bright halo of material and a long tail of dust,
scientists have discovered.
The two asteroids of almost the same mass and size
were orbiting each other at a distance of 60 miles
when discovered.
Jessica Agarwal of the Max Planck Institute for Solar
System Research, explained: “We detected strong
indications of the sublimation of water ice due to the
increased solar heating — similar to how the tail of a
comet is created.”
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She also noted how the observed activity of 288P also
reveals information about its past.
Ms Agarwal, who led the study, said: “Surface ice
cannot survive in the asteroid belt for the age of the
Solar System but can be protected for billions of years
by a refractory dust mantle, only a few metres thick.”
Due to this, the team of researchers has concluded
that 288P has existed as a binary system for roughly
5,000 years.
Certain features of 288P - such as wide separation of
the two components, near-equal component size, high
eccentricity and comet-like activity — make it unique
among the few known wide asteroid binaries in the
solar system.
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