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Space probe discovers asteroid made of rubble

The first space probe sent to land on an asteroid and take samples delivered the goods, Japanese scientists reported in a journal article published Friday, saying the otter-shaped celestial body is the first found to be made of rubble.

While previously probed asteroids consisted of lumps of solid rock Itokawa appears to consist of loosely packed and porous rubble bound together by its own gravity.

Itokawa has few craters because signs of impact from space rocks are erased when the asteroid’s rubble shifts after the impacts.

Its surface has patches of rough, boulder-strewn terrain and ‘seas’ of uniformly sized, fine-gravel-like particles.

The Hayabusa probe was launched in May 2003, and during its visit to the asteroid, which was named after a Japanese scientist, it also orbited it and took photographs.

posted by: kyawoo at 20:57 | link | comments |
asteroids

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