Like asteroids, it has the shape of a rotating peak, which it gained due to rapid rotation. Authors study they stated that “the generally accepted scenario for the emergence of Ryugu is the catastrophic collision of larger asteroids and the subsequent slow gravitational accumulation of collision debris.”
The formation of a comet
The idea that Ryugu should be an asteroid, which astronomers have assumed since the object’s discovery in 1999, has been supported by a wealth of evidence. But there was one fact that did not meet the definition of an asteroid: the body has a high concentration of organic matter. The scientists addressed the question of why the object created from the wreckage after the collision of two asteroids has such a high concentration of organic matter.
Is this what a dead comet looks like? A new study suggests the asteroid Ryugu is the remains of an ancient comet that burned out & lost its ice. https://t.co/9WNNuFYsgB pic.twitter.com/WTmUM1eu38
— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) March 23, 2022
The authors in their article published in The Astronomical Journal Letters reported that Ryugu may be a remnant of a comet. In addition, there may be similar asteroids formed by the accumulation of debris. Astronomers call these phenomena the transition of comets and asteroids.
A photo that takes your breath away. The spacecraft has taken the largest image of the Sun to date
Comets form in distant cold regions of the solar system. Unlike asteroids, which are entirely made of rocks, comets are icy and contain rocks and frozen volatiles, mostly frozen water. Comets also contain frozen carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane and carbon monoxide. Astronomers call them dirty snowballs.
[5 days until our return to Earth]
Today’s memory is “the moment you collect the history of the Solar System”.? Images captured on July 11, 2019 from 10:03:54 ~ 10:11:44. 10 x speed video by the small monitor camera (CAM-H) during the 2nd touchdown. pic.twitter.com/Fe7yfwx7dn
— HAYABUSA2@JAXA (@haya2e_jaxa) December 1, 2020
Comets also have an unbounded atmosphere. As they approach the Sun, the heat dissolves some volatile substances, which then sublimate into space. However, after many flybys near the Sun, some comets lose all their volatiles and fly into space. All that remains is the rock, sometimes called an extinct comet.
Many years of research
Ryugu rotates rapidly, which could be the result of her previous life as a comet. “The sublimation of ice causes the comet’s core to lose weight and shrink, which increases its rotation speed,” study lead author Hitoši Miura said in a press release. “As a result of this spin, the comet nucleus may gain the rotational speed needed to create the shape of a rotating vertex,” he added.
The European Southern Observatory has shown a fascinating image of a nearby galaxy
According to Miura, the extinct comet hypothesis may explain the high content of organic matter. The detected organic molecules include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methanol, carbonyl sulfide, formaldehyde, formic acid, methane and cyanate.
Research published in @NatureAstronomy proposes that Ryugu’s parent may have collided with an S-type asteroid, resulting in boulders on Ryugu from a different asteroid type. This suggests Ryugu’s parent may differ from that of Bennu, visited by @OSIRISREx. https://t.co/N8C7taVTuw
— HAYABUSA2@JAXA (@haya2e_jaxa) October 2, 2020
“In addition, the ice components of comets are thought to contain organic matter formed in the interstellar environment. These organic materials could be deposited on the rocky fragments that remain after sublimation of the ice, “Miura explained.
The research team tested their hypothesis using numerical simulations. He calculated how long it would take for Ryugu to lose all her volatiles and become a stone remnant. The team also managed to calculate the increase in rotational speed needed to form into what it is today.
Ready to investigate the secrets of asteroid Ryugu? The Ryugu sample catalogue with details of the grains that @haya2e_jaxs returned from asteroid Ryugu is now open to explore! https://t.co/YLJRhn7MTl pic.twitter.com/5dxCpfnaKu
— JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (@ISAS_JAXA_EN) January 13, 2022
“Our calculations suggest that Ryugu was once a comet. She was active for the first few tens of thousands of years and spent the rest of her dynamic life as an asteroid in the form of a pile of rubble, “the study writes. Such a scenario is in line with the dynamic evolution of modern comets in the solar system, the scientists agreed. The results showed that Ryugu and similar asteroids are transitional objects between comets and asteroids, abbreviated as CAT.
Milestone overcome. Webb’s telescope took a unique photo of the star and his selfie
“These are small bodies that used to be active comets, but have become extinct and probably indistinguishable from asteroids,” Miura explained, adding: “Given their resemblance to comets and asteroids, CAT could provide new insights into our solar system.”
Another mission exploring a space-shrouded spacecraft is nearing completion. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has visited the asteroid Bennu, which is very similar to Ryugu, and will return its samples to Earth in 2023. Their analysis should confirm whether Ryugu and Bennu are asteroids or CAT.
–
Source: Youtube
Things worth knowing about Ryugu
– A near-Earth asteroid designated 162173, formerly 1999 JU3.
– It was discovered on May 10, 1999.
– It is almost round in shape, its volume is about 880 meters.
– Due to her trajectory, she is included in the Apollo group.
– Due to its size, it is a potentially dangerous asteroid.
– In 2015, it was named after the underwater palace of Ryugujo from Japanese mythology.
–
