Occultation sheds light on KBO
Posted: Thu, Jun 17, 2010, 6:54 AM ET (1054 GMT)
Planetary astronomers have made the first observation of a Kuiper Belt object (KBO) occulting a star, providing information on its size and albedo. An MIT-led time, reporting in this week's issue of the journal Nature, reported on observations of a KBO designated 55636 as it passed in front of a bright star last October. Astronomers used the observations to determine the KBO's radius, 143 kilometers, and its albedo. They found the object is highly reflective, a surprising result since other objects in the outer solar system have darker surfaces as solar radiation darkens icy surfaces and as dust accumulates.
Planetary astronomers have made the first observation of a Kuiper Belt object (KBO) occulting a star, providing information on its size and albedo. An MIT-led time, reporting in this week's issue of the journal Nature, reported on observations of a KBO designated 55636 as it passed in front of a bright star last October. Astronomers used the observations to determine the KBO's radius, 143 kilometers, and its albedo. They found the object is highly reflective, a surprising result since other objects in the outer solar system have darker surfaces as solar radiation darkens icy surfaces and as dust accumulates.
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