🔭 A multitude of dark comets in the vicinity of the Earth

2024-07-23 06:00:12

The composition and origin of dark objects orbiting near Earth could revolutionize our understanding of the solar system. According to a recent study from the University of Michigan, up to 60 percent of these objects could be dark comets, potentially containing glace. A discovery that opens new avenues as to the origin of theeau on Terre.

The study reveals that these asteroids, located mainly in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, would contain ice under their surface. This hypothesis, present since the 1980s, is reinforced by recent observations and dynamic modeling by the team led by Aster Taylor.

Researchers suggest that dark comets could provide a pathway for the delivery of ice to the inner solar system. The origin of Earth’s water remains a mystery, but these findings offer a new possible pathway, although they cannot confirm whether these comets actually delivered water to our planet.

These dark objects are distinguished by non-gravitational accelerations, a phenomenon also observed in comets. However, unlike classic comets, these objects do not display a coma, this visible gaseous envelope. These characteristics have led to their being called dark comets.

The team modeled the paths of these dark comets over a period of 100,000 years. The results show that the majority probably originate from the asteroid belt. Their presence would indicate an unsuspected amount of ice in this region. The smaller, rapidly rotating objects probably result from the continuous fragmentation of larger objects as their ice sublimates.

These discoveries thus highlight a potential ice reservoir within the asteroid belt, thus providing a new mechanism for transporting ice towards the solar system internal. And champ investigation that raises many new questions for researchers.

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