The surface of the asteroid "Ryugu" for Hayabusa2 exploration is fragile and fluid. March 20 4:52
The artificial crater made by the Japanese probe "Hayabusa 2" last year on the asteroid "Ryugu" has a diameter of about 14 meters, almost 1.5 times larger than expected, and the surface is more brittle than expected and exhibits fluid properties. Was announced by JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Last year, the JAXA spacecraft Hayabusa2 collided a mass of metal with the asteroid "Ryugu" to create the world's first artificial crater for an asteroid, and analyzed the images in detail.
An image of a small camera separated from Hayabusa2 taken about eight minutes after the collision was released, and the rock fragments scattered radially by the collision reached about 50 meters above the asteroid. I was able to confirm.
Another camera image shows that the formed artificial crater is 14.5 meters in diameter and 2.3 meters deep.
The crater was assumed to be at most about 10 meters in diameter according to prior assumptions, but since it was nearly 1.5 times the size, rocks and stones were brittle, and the surface could show more fluid properties than expected. I understand.
"There is rock on the surface, but it seems to have little strength. Examining the rocks of Ryugu, which may have been collected by Hayabusa2, may lead to new discoveries," said Professor Arakawa of Kobe University. I was talking.