The asteroid Ryugu has less and less secrets: new photos taken by the small French-German robot Mascot, the size of a shoebox, will help scientists understand the formation of our solar system.
Mascot (Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout) traveled on the back of the Japanese probe Hayabusa 2 before landing on October 3, 2018 on the asteroid Ryugu, 900 meters wide, somewhere in space, between Mars and Earth. After a fall of six minutes, Mascot, weighing about ten kilos, bounced several times on the very rough ground of the asteroid, because of the lack of gravity, before stabilizing.
Two types of rocks
In addition to taking measurements, Mascot took a series of photos during the 17 hours of his mission. Since then, these clichés are analyzed by scientists. Two types of rocks and blocks are distinguishable: dark and rough, with a friable surface, or clear and smooth. "This shows that Ryugu is the product of a violent process," says Professor Ralf Jaumann of the German Center for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DLR), the lead author of a study presented in Science magazine on Thursday. Cliché analysis.
See also this photo taken by the MASCOT undercarriage of Ryugu's surface in real color!
- DLR pic.twitter.com/ufkkpzDlFV
Ryugu could thus be the "son" of two parent bodies that collided, separated, and then assembled due to gravity, according to the researchers. Another theory is that the asteroid has itself been the victim of a collision with another body. This would have caused the creation of both types of rocks.
Many rocks on Ryugu also contain small blue and red "inclusions" - materials that get stuck in the rock during its formation. These inclusions are similar to rare primitive meteorites found on Earth, carbonaceous chondrites. "This material is extremely primitive, it is the first material in the solar system," Ralf Jaumann explained.