09.02.2023
It was spotted “by accident” in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It is the smallest object ever observed by a space telescope. A German astronomer praises “the superior ability of the James Webb telescope, which enabled the observation of this asteroid.”
European astronomers spotted “by accident” through James Webb Space Telescope, An asteroid the size of the Roman Colosseum in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
And the US Space Agency (NASA) indicated that this asteroid, which ranges between one hundred and two hundred meters in width, is the smallest space object monitored by the space telescope so far. “The asteroid was spotted by European astronomers by chance,” she added, in a statement, stressing the need to conduct other observations to better determine its nature and characteristics.
The astronomer at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Thomas Müller, stated that “the ability of… James Webb This object was detected at a distance of more than 100 million kilometres.
The asteroid was discovered during the calibration of the “MIRI” infrared monitoring camera, as a result of cooperation between Europeans and Americans.
The James Webb telescope, which is the most powerful of its kind ever, was launched into space via an Ariane 5 rocket, and entered service in July 2022. To date, it has been able to collect a large amount of data and take amazing pictures.
White Center James Webb At a distance of about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, it is equipped with an amount of fuel that allows it to operate for 20 years.
One of James Webb’s $10 billion missions is to explore the early ages of the universe, as well as to search for exoplanets.
The telescope was not designed to search for small objects such as the newly observed asteroid, but its discovery constitutes “an indication that it will monitor a large number of celestial bodies,” according to Mueller.
P.S./A.H. (AFP)
DW News |
14.07.2022
