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dhani — September 12, 2008 / 10:16 pm
This image shows asteroid Steins seen from a distance of 800 kilometers, taken by the ESA’s Rosetta OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System) and VIRTIS (Visual and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) imaging system from two different perspectives.
Located at the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter’s orbit, the asteroid’s shape is resembles a diamond in the sky. Visible in the image are several small craters on the asteroid, and two huge craters, one of which is 2 kilometers in diameter, indicating that the asteroid must be very old.
The images also shows a chain, composed of about 7 impact craters, which must have formed from recurring impact as the asteroid rotated. The impact may have been caused by a meteoroid stream, or fragments from a shattered small body. To determine the age of the asteroid, a count of the craters on the asteroid’s surface has been started (the more the number of craters, the older the asteroid). So far, 23 craters have been spotted.
Scientists will taking advantage from this image to understanding why the asteroid is unusually bright, and how fine the grains in the surface layer are. This will tell them more about how the asteroid formed. (Image credits: ESA/MPS/UPM/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA)
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