A group of astronomers, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, have discovered an unusual type of objects in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, Phys.org reports. During the observations, the researchers noticed two asteroids orbiting each other, while they had a bright coma and a long tail, like comets.
It is the first binary asteroid also classified as a comet. The object received the designation 288P. In September 2016, before its closest approach to the Sun, it was close enough to Earth, which allowed astronomers to examine it in detail.
The 288P images showed that this is not actually one object, but two asteroids of almost the same mass, orbiting each other at a distance of about 100 km. As they approached the sun, scientists noticed the sublimation of water ice on them.
Experts believe that 288P became binary only about 5 thousand years ago. Most likely, the object will split due to rapid rotation, and the separated bodies will continue to collapse.
The 288P images showed that this is not actually one object, but two asteroids of almost the same mass, orbiting each other at a distance of about 100 km. As they approached the sun, scientists noticed the sublimation of water ice on them.
Experts believe that 288P became binary only about 5 thousand years ago. Most likely, the object will split due to rapid rotation, and the separated bodies will continue to collapse.