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Gaia Observatory found 350 new asteroid pairs

12/08/2024
гая

The Gaia Space Observatory, which normally maps the stars, has helped astronomers find more than 350 previously unknown asteroids. And not single, but double, that is, a pair of two gravitationally bound asteroids. By discovering them, astronomers have doubled the list of known binary asteroids, and will now be able to test theories about their formation and role in the evolution of the Solar System on an even larger sample.

Usually, binary asteroids are difficult to detect because they are distant, small in size, and have dark surfaces. However, "Gaia" has become useful to astronomers due to the fact that it constantly surveys the sky, recording the movement of stars with high accuracy. And among its data it was possible to find more than 150 thousand asteroids, the movement and position of which was registered by the observatory. By analyzing how these asteroids "oscillate", scientists were able to identify those in which these oscillations are most likely influenced by a satellite, indicating a dual nature. Double stars are also searched for in a similar way. As with the stars, Gaia was even able to obtain spectroscopic data on asteroids, creating the largest collection of asteroid spectra. This indicates to astronomers the chemical composition of asteroids and possible ways of their formation. Researchers are now awaiting a new release of Gaia observations in 2026, which will likely lead to even more significant discoveries in the study of asteroids.

  • One of the most famous binary asteroids is the pair of asteroids Dimorphus and Didymus. Two years ago, Dimorph rammed the DART probe, and at the same time collected valuable scientific data about it and Didim.

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