[meteorite-list] Powerful New Technique Measures Asteroids' Sizes And Shapes

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 21:26:58 -0600
Message-ID: <0df901c98741$9ae6f0e0$6043e146_at_ATARIENGINE>

"Powerful New Technique Measures Asteroids' Sizes And Shapes"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204085309.htm

Using two of the European Southern Observatories' 8.2-meter
telescopes as a 47-meter interferometer, the exact size and shape
of asteroids as small as 15 kilometers can be measured. Previously,
only the 100 largest asteroids could be resolved; this extends the
number to thousands (although the process is slow and laborious).

The asteroid 234 Barabara was resolved into two peculiar shapes.
The best fit model is composed of two bodies each the size of a
major city - with diameters of 37 and 21 km - separated by at
least 24 km. "The two parts appear to overlap, so the object could
be shaped like a gigantic peanut or, it could be two separate bodies
orbiting each other." Or, I hasten to say, two bodies in contact but
not attached to each other and rolling around like ball bearings...


Sterling K. Webb
Received on Wed 04 Feb 2009 10:26:58 PM PST