Frozen worlds break distance record
February 14th 2009 02:32
Category: No Category
They are believed to be the widest known bodies in the solar system. The binary Structures were also known as 2001 and Q. W. 322.
These bodies have been tracked for the last six years the data showed they orbit each other every 25 to 30 years at 120km or 75,000 miles apart. This is quite a large separation for binary bodies. What makes this two bodies exceptional is that most binary fragments have orbits of only a few months up to a few years.
Optical image of the Kuiper Belt binary 2001 QW322 from Gemini on July 8, 2005. Separation was 1.8 arcseconds.
The makeup of these celestial bodies is yet unknown. They are believed small asteroids covered in ice. The most likely point of origin is from the Kuiper belt. Observations from the larger telescopes have shown that these bodies have the same brightness as each other , but components are blue in colour which suggests that large proportions of these bodies are covered in ice . Each body is believed to be about 50km in diameter.
There are about a billion additional Kuiper Belt Objects in our solar system with Pluto and Charon being among the largest members of this important group of minor planets.
| 68 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief