NEW DELHI: A recent study has shed light on the origin of the near-Earth asteroid known as Kamo’oalewa, revealing that it likely originated from the Giordano Bruno crater on the moon’s far side. This discovery marks the first time astronomers have traced a potentially hazardous asteroid back to a specific lunar crater, offering new perspectives on the dynamics between Earth and its celestial neighbor.
Kamo’oalewa, a quasi-satellite of Earth, was first identified in 2016 by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii.Measuring between 150 and 190 feet in diameter, the asteroid orbits close to Earth, raising interest among scientists due to its unusual path and composition similar to lunar material, a CNN report said.
The research, published on April 19 in Nature Astronomy, utilized advanced simulations to pinpoint the asteroid’s lunar origin. Yifei Jiao, a visiting scholar at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and doctoral student at Tsinghua University, stated, “For 50 years we have been studying rocks collected by astronauts on the moon, as well as lunar meteorites. Kamo’oalewa is kind of a missing link that connects the two.”
The study proposes that a significant impact on the moon, capable of creating a crater larger than 6 to 12 miles in diameter, dislodged Kamo’oalewa, sending it into space. This event would have required an impactor at least 0.6 miles in diameter.
Erik Asphaug, a professor at the University of Arizona, expressed surprise at the findings: “You’d think the impact event would pulverize and distribute the lunar material far and wide. But there it is. So, we turned the problem around and asked ourselves, ‘How can we make this happen?’”
As per the CNN report, these findings not only deepen understanding of asteroid origins but also contribute to studies of panspermia, suggesting how organic materials might travel between celestial bodies. The asteroid’s intact condition after being ejected from the moon poses intriguing questions about the survival of organic compounds through space travel.
Looking ahead, China’s Tianwen-2 mission, set to launch in 2025, aims to visit Kamo’oalewa and return samples to Earth. These could provide unprecedented insights into the asteroid’s composition and the lunar subsurface, enhancing knowledge of space weathering processes and the history of the moon and nearby space.
Renu Malhotra, a coauthor of the study, emphasized the importance of this research for future space exploration: “Testing the new model of Kamo’oalewa’s origin from a specific, young lunar crater paves the way for obtaining ground-truth knowledge of the damage that asteroid impacts can cause to planetary bodies.”
Kamo’oalewa, a quasi-satellite of Earth, was first identified in 2016 by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii.Measuring between 150 and 190 feet in diameter, the asteroid orbits close to Earth, raising interest among scientists due to its unusual path and composition similar to lunar material, a CNN report said.
The research, published on April 19 in Nature Astronomy, utilized advanced simulations to pinpoint the asteroid’s lunar origin. Yifei Jiao, a visiting scholar at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and doctoral student at Tsinghua University, stated, “For 50 years we have been studying rocks collected by astronauts on the moon, as well as lunar meteorites. Kamo’oalewa is kind of a missing link that connects the two.”
The study proposes that a significant impact on the moon, capable of creating a crater larger than 6 to 12 miles in diameter, dislodged Kamo’oalewa, sending it into space. This event would have required an impactor at least 0.6 miles in diameter.
Erik Asphaug, a professor at the University of Arizona, expressed surprise at the findings: “You’d think the impact event would pulverize and distribute the lunar material far and wide. But there it is. So, we turned the problem around and asked ourselves, ‘How can we make this happen?’”
As per the CNN report, these findings not only deepen understanding of asteroid origins but also contribute to studies of panspermia, suggesting how organic materials might travel between celestial bodies. The asteroid’s intact condition after being ejected from the moon poses intriguing questions about the survival of organic compounds through space travel.
Looking ahead, China’s Tianwen-2 mission, set to launch in 2025, aims to visit Kamo’oalewa and return samples to Earth. These could provide unprecedented insights into the asteroid’s composition and the lunar subsurface, enhancing knowledge of space weathering processes and the history of the moon and nearby space.
Renu Malhotra, a coauthor of the study, emphasized the importance of this research for future space exploration: “Testing the new model of Kamo’oalewa’s origin from a specific, young lunar crater paves the way for obtaining ground-truth knowledge of the damage that asteroid impacts can cause to planetary bodies.”
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