Images from the surface of asteroid Ryugu show rocks similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites.
Science
; 365(6455): 817-820, 2019 08 23.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31439797
ABSTRACT
The near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu is a 900-m-diameter dark object expected to contain primordial material from the solar nebula. The Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) landed on Ryugu's surface on 3 October 2018. We present images from the MASCOT camera (MASCam) taken during the descent and while on the surface. The surface is covered by decimeter- to meter-sized rocks, with no deposits of fine-grained material. Rocks appear either bright, with smooth faces and sharp edges, or dark, with a cauliflower-like, crumbly surface. Close-up images of a rock of the latter type reveal a dark matrix with small, bright, spectrally different inclusions, implying that it did not experience extensive aqueous alteration. The inclusions appear similar to those in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Science
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Alemania