Hayabusa2 finds asteroid barely larger than itself
Since completing its main mission, the Japanese probe Hayabusa2 is now on its way to an additional asteroid. It is much smaller than expected.
Updated size comparison of Hayabusa2 and its next target, asteroid 1998 KY26
(Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser. Asteroid models: T. Santana-Ros, JAXA/University of Aizu/Kobe University)
The asteroid that the Japanese probe Hayabusa2 will visit in six years is just 11 meters in size and rotates around its own axis once every five minutes. This means that the celestial body is significantly smaller and rotates much faster than previously assumed. Whether the probe will even be able to land there is completely open, explains the European Southern Observatory (ESO), whose Very Large Telescope (VLT) was used to determine these values. At the same time, however, this also means that the asteroid, named 1998 KY26, is not much larger than the probe that will explore it up close. This will make the visit even more interesting, but also significantly more difficult, explains ESO astronomer Olivier Hainaut.
Exciting research goal
1998 KY26 is the final destination of Hayabusa2's extended mission, but first it will fly past another asteroid. Until now, it was assumed that 1998 KY26 had a diameter of 30 meters and rotated once every ten minutes. The new observations have now surprisingly revealed that it is much smaller. In addition, it has been determined that the celestial body has a bright surface and probably consists of a solid rock fragment originating from part of a planet or asteroid. However, it cannot be completely ruled out that it may consist of loosely connected debris. Such a small asteroid has never been seen on site before, so it is not known what Hayabusa2 can expect.
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Hayabusa2 was launched in 2014 to the asteroid Ryugu, which it reached in 2018. There, it carried out an extensive research program and deployed several landers, including Mascot, developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French space agency CNES. The probe then flew to the surface twice itself and collected rock samples, which it delivered to Earth at the end of 2020, where they are being extensively researched. The probe itself is now on its way to other celestial bodies, and the work presented in the science magazine Nature Communications shows that there may still be some surprises in store.
(mho)
