Asteroids behaving like Comets
August 18th 2010 03:23
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Main Belt Comets (MBC) 133 3P/Elst-Pizarro image from H. Hsieh University of Hawaii
Asteroids behaving like comets while it is true that asteroids can be made up of many materials most of which are metallic in origin. Some are leftover chunks of icy rocks are floating in space.
These objects mostly resided in the asteroid belt of between Mars and Jupiter . Occasionally a few of these objects will venture beyond the asteroid belt and travel within the solar system crossing the paths of many plants including Earth.
New research conducted on asteroids has revealed some interesting findings. Researchers have discovered a population of icy asteroids that have an appearance resembling a comet some of these objects have tails.
Comets are made up of mostly water ice and carbon-based materials.
Theories support that comets come from beyond the asteroid belt in the region beyond our solar system called the Kuper Belt.
Research into M.B.Cs ( Main Belt Comets) was somewhat confirmed by the discovery of asteroid number 24 Themis this particular asteroid is coated with a layer of ice.
The first in M.B.C was discovered in 1996 and given a comet status, it was named 133 3P/Elst-Pizarro which was found in the asteroid belt.
This particular object did not behave like normal comets as most comets have very long looping orbital paths.
What is most interesting is that the icy asteroids contain the very elements that are present in earth’s water including oceans and freshwater supplies. Whether the earth's water originated from the asteroid belt is a matter for further research but nevertheless it in an interesting plausible theory.
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