Asteroid 1998 KY26
Explanation:
A day is just under 11 minutes long
on 1998 KY26, a 30 meter wide,
fast-spinning, water-rich asteroid.
This computer simulated view of its lumpy surface has a resolution of
about 3 meters and is
based
on radar and optical observations
(click on the image for a series of surface views).
The observations
were
made shortly after the discovery of the
diminutive world which passed within about 800,000 kilometers of Earth,
or about 2 times the Earth-Moon distance, in June of 1998.
Around 10 million asteroids of similar size may exist in orbits that
also
come near Earth's,
but little is
known about them.
However, spinning so fast, tiny 1998 KY26 can not be a
loose conglomerate held together by gravity alone.
Instead it is likely a monolithic chunk fragmented from a
larger
asteroid.
As the radar and optical data suggest 1998 KY26
has a high water content, this
relatively
accessible asteroid
could be a literal oasis for
future space explorers.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
