SUSPECTED ASTEROID COLLISION LEAVES TRAILING DEBRIS

SUSPECTED ASTEROID COLLISION LEAVES TRAILING DEBRIS

hubblesite.org

WASHINGTON — NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids. Astronomers have long thought the asteroid belt is being ground down through collisions, but such a smashup has never been seen before.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
news.ninemsn.com.au

This article was front page in Australia yesterday on msn.com.au
I thought the defined X shape of the object was something I have never seen before. What I thought odd about the shape was that it reminded me of one of those wave piercing catamarans with the single middle hull, with the two outside hulls. The light at the front seems to be coming off the front of one of the bulbous bows of the outer hulls. If you use the wave piercing analogy, its as if the outer hulls are breaking the path to deflect pressure effect off the centre hull.

hubblesite.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

Already been posted more than once, but an interesting photo nonetheless

[edit on 5-2-2010 by hippomchippo]

This topic is already being discussed here. Please feel free to contribute to the ongoing discussion there.

Thread Closed.

TheBorg
Forum Member and Moderator