The Gaia telescope of the European Space Agency has spotted 352 asteroids around potential moons.
According to the scientists, these asteroids did not have any companions and hence were what is known as “binary asteroids”.
Because of the ultra-accurate astrometric data of the telescope, the scientists were able to find signs of tiny rocks flying around huge asteroids.
According to the ESA, this also proves the ability of Gaia to conduct ‘blind’ searches for finding unknown candidates and work like an asteroid explorer.
After the findings are confirmed, the 352 binary asteroid candidates will be added to the list.
Scientists are interested in binary asteroids because they have clues about the ancient universe and help astronomers study how various bodies were formed in space.
Why are binary asteroids important for scientists?
The study’s lead author Luana Liberato said that it is difficult to find the binary asteroids because of their small size and huge distance.
“Binary asteroids are difficult to find as they are mostly so small and far away from us,” Liberato said.
“Despite us expecting just under one-sixth of asteroids to have a companion, so far we have only found 500 of the million known asteroids to be in binary systems. But this discovery shows that there are many asteroid moons out there just waiting to be found,” said Liberato who is also an astronomer at France’s Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur.
Since 2013, Gaia has been an asteroid explorer and had its all-sky scanning capabilities because of which it made various remarkable asteroid discoveries.
Watch: Earth slows down by 1.33 milliseconds
The scientists by studying these moon-asteroid pairs can improve the knowledge of the gravitational interactions which influence their stability and orbits.
“Binary asteroids have attracted the attention of the scientific community due to their interesting properties and the significant impact they have on our understanding of the solar system,” the study authors stated.
“Unlike single asteroids, binary systems offer unique insights into many fundamental processes, including the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, collision dynamics, and gravitational interactions,” they added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
