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.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, August 11
Russia rolling out Starlink-style network faster than expected, Kyiv says
Reuters — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT) Musk: Starlink To Grow Beyond 100,000 Satellites With Higher Throughput
Aviation Week — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT) U.S. space and missile defense at center stage in Huntsville, Alabama
Washington Times — 4:57 am ET (0857 GMT) Voyager Wins Space Force Tactical Data Link Comms Work
Aviation Week — 4:55 am ET (0855 GMT) Kepler Selects Rocket Lab's Neutron for First Dedicated Launch as Network Expansion Accelerates
GlobeNewswire — 4:54 am ET (0854 GMT) |
