(N.Morgan) Astronomers are delving into the secrets of Asteroid Itokawa, using New Technology Telescope (NTT) and for the first time they have been able to research the internal structure of an asteroid. The NTT studied the peanut shaped asteroid Itokawa. It helped scientists measure the asteroid’s brightness variation as it rotates. Knowing the irregular peanut shape of Itokawa, the data gathered allowed them to accurately calculate its spin period. This also gave the scientists an insight to find out what the asteroid is like below the surface and also at its core.
According to the latest observations published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, different parts of Itokawa have different densities. Learning more about the secrets beneath the asteroid’s surface could reveal mysteries about what happens when these bodies collide in the Solar System. The team made precise measurements during the observations, measuring the speed at which the near-Earth asteroid spins and how that spin rate is changing over time. They also combined these measurements with new theoretical work on how asteroids radiate heat.
Image Caption: A schematic view of the strange peanut-shaped asteroid Itokawa. Credit: ESO/JAXA