Hubble sees asteroid spouting six comet-like tails

Science paper, if anyone interested: arxiv.org...

The Extraordinary Multi-Tailed Main-Belt Comet P/2013 P5

Hubble Space Telescope observations of main-belt comet P/2013 P5 reveal an extraordinary system of six dust tails that distinguish this object from any other. Observations two weeks apart show dramatic morphological change in the tails while providing no evidence for secular fading of the object as a whole. Each tail is associated with a unique ejection date, revealing continued, episodic mass loss from the 0.24+/-0.04 km radius nucleus over the last five months. As an inner-belt asteroid and probable Flora family member, the object is likely to be highly metamorphosed and unlikely to contain ice. The protracted period of dust release appears inconsistent with an impact origin, but may be compatible with a body that is losing mass through a rotational instability. We suggest that P/2013 P5 has been accelerated to breakup speed by radiation torques.

Now for replies:

BELIEVERpriest
reply to post by wildespace

 

Sirius b is invisible to the naked eye. Not even the light of its companion sirius a can illuminate it.

If the mystery object's magnetic field is powerful enough, its possible for light to be obscured.

Sirius b is too small and too far away to be visible to the naked eye anyway, you need a large telescope to see it. And it has been seen, by the Hubble, in visible spectrum: www.spacetelescope.org... It emits its own light, so there's no need for it to be illuminated by Sirius. And at over 8 light years away, it's way too far for its magnetic field to influence the Solar System in any way.
Anyway, bad example. I'd image that something that influences a single asteroid in the asteroid belt would have to be much closer to it, at least definitely within the Solar System (and thus illuminated by the Sun).
"If the mystery object's magnetic field is powerful enough, its possible for light to be obscured." - erm, how the hell can a magnetic field obscure light?

alfa1

Here's an older example from 2010.
An asteroid losing dust.

link

That example was the result of asteroid collision, so it's different from this particular example. The loss of material through rapid spinning might have been suggested before, but I'm not aware of any actual observations of this happening. So it's a first, and as it is always the case in science, further observations and measuremets are needed to say anything with certainty.

Seems to be a lot of old farts on here.....
its a rave, dont you know.
Thats an alien strobe light.
Sheesh......

The cause of this effect is likely to be something as mundane as a pressure differential within the asteroid.

As the Asteroids collide within the field they often break into smaller pieces, some of which are ejected from the field and fall inwards.

Some of those asteroid may in effect be nothing more than just big frozen dust balls encased in rock. However, the tails we see here are more likely caused by a higher pressure interior forcing material from the inside of the asteroid out into space.

The pressure doesn't even need to be very high, to be sucked out into a vacuum, it could be as little as 0.000001% of vacuum to be able to eject material.

This is my guess as to what is happening here.

Why don't we see this often?? Well I would say that the makeup of this asteroid with hard shell and soft interior is probably quite rare, as it does not conform with the norms. You would normally expect the core to be denser than the outer material.... though physics does allow an object such as I have described only if the interior were to be pressurized.

Peace,

Korg.

Great find S+F
I just love Space stuff.

One thing I am wondering though, if it is spinning aroung in the asteroid belt, isn't there a risk of it colliding with other rocks/debris in there and throwing them out of orbit and perhaps toward us? Not trying to fear monger at all but isn't this a possibility?

AbleEndangered
Its like this one.

It too had 6 tails and did fly by of Earth.

Wikipedia Reference Great Comet of 1744
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1744
en.wikipedia.org...

or one of other multi-tailed comets recorded by Ancient Asians.

edit on 8-11-2013 by AbleEndangered because: tweak edit

As you just said, though, those were comets. Not asteroids still in the asteroid belt.

reply to post by Teye22

One thing I am wondering though, if it is spinning aroung in the asteroid belt, isn't there a risk of it colliding with other rocks/debris in there and throwing them out of orbit and perhaps toward us? Not trying to fear monger at all but isn't this a possibility?

I think that's a possibility for any asteroid in the belt if its acted upon somehow by either a collision or some gravitational pull.

In relation to this asteroid, I may have just been making an assumption or reading between the lines, but I saw it as spinning on its own sort of "axis".

Of course as all assumptions this could be wrong.

Should be interesting to see what more they find out about this.

Can anyone locate any animated models of a rotating and oscillating gaseous sphere for comparison purposes?

tokejesus
reply to post by Chamberf=6

 

Yeah, it was all over the news. Google it, many sources.

That was an instance of different circumstances and there has been more time to study the information from it, if you are speaking of the 2010 asteroid mentioned in an earlier post.

This occurrence is a new type of observation with different properties yet to be fully understood or explained fully.

Has anyone else noticed that it seems to be 3 pairs of almost right angled releases in one of the pictures?

reply to post by ergot

Hadn't noticed, but that IS kind of weird. Since it is spinning/oscillating maybe it's just the view at the moment of the picture?

I can't believe this thread doesn't have more flags, stars, and ATS member input, especially since it's an anomaly acknowledge through reputable sources and through the Hubble telescope.


Maybe everyone is so overwhelmed their brains have stopped working and they forgot how to speak.

Some different info from finally a different article.

The configuration of these tails changed dramatically during the course of the observations. At the same time, however, the astronomers also noticed that the comet's core was not degrading at a noticeable rate. The angle of each tail could be traced back to a different time of cometary ejection over a five month span (dating back to April). This is a good sign that there's continuing activity at the nucleus.

Observations also showed that P/2013 P5 is unlikely to contain ice. The astronomers don't think it came from the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud. Its orbit is located near the inner edge of the asteroid belt, in the neighborhood of the Flora family of S-type asteroids. These bodies are primarily made from stone, containing lots of iron. So the six-tailed comet isn't likely to contain water ice

Not containing ice sort of surprised me, and thought that "continuing activity at the nucleus" was interesting.
io9.com...
and
arxiv-web3.library.cornell.edu...

InTheLight
Can anyone locate any animated models of a rotating and oscillating gaseous sphere for comparison purposes?

Well, I think it may have to do with it's shape. We really don't have a lot of close up pics of comets to determine what their shape has to do with their behavior in rotation or oscillation. Here's a vid with a close up pic of an oddly shaped comet. I wonder if this comet has six irregularly shaped projections on it's surface?

"...It's hard to believe we're looking at an asteroid."

I don't have to say it, do I? (aliens) Just kiddin', who knows for sure. Fascinating and bizarre discovery nonetheless.

Great find op, flag for you. This is conjunction with comet Ison's alleged strangeness and things in the heavens are pretty interesting these days.

All Seeing Eye
Looks absolutely Divine. Say, where is this "Thing" , in relationship with Ceres?

I would think it's relation to Ceres would change constantly.

As they revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits, the asteroids also rotate, sometimes quite erratically, tumbling as they go.

solarsystem.nasa.gov...

Chamberf=6
Here's a slightly different picture

Isn't that the thing that invaded LA once?




(I guess those were spotlights, but there is a striking resemblance! )

Wookiep

Chamberf=6
Here's a slightly different picture

Isn't that the thing that invaded LA once?

LOL

Does this suggest that this Asteriod has water in it, somewhat made up like a comet, or is this asteroid actually a comet that's nucleus is now exposed, maybe a comet at one time, but is now been stripped of its Ice covered surface

reply to post by Glassbender777

They doubt it has ice/water.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Several posts up.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


I think this could possibly be an asteroid that had trapped water vapor. I know they ruled out an impact with another asteroid, but perhaps another asteroid merely bumped into it hard enough to "uncap" the internal pressure?