'Comets often glow brilliantly by sodium emission when very near the Sun, so we suspected sodium could likewise serve a key role in Phaethon’s brightening.'
. Scientists assumed Phaethon behaved like a comet for the longest time due to the dust escaping from the asteroid when impacted by the Sun.
on later solar approaches. The appearance substantiated the theory that dust was escaping the asteroid's surface when heated by the Sun.However, in 2018, a solar mission that imaged part of the Geminid debris trail found something peculiar. NASA's Parker Solar Probe showed that the trail contained more material than what could be shed during Phaethon's close approaches to the Sun.
Zhang was intrigued. He used the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft, which contains color filters that can detect sodium and dust, and observed the tail during Phaethon’s latest perihelion in 2022.According to SOHO's observations, the asteroid's tail appeared bright only in the filter that detected sodium, not that detected dust. Also, the tail changed its shape and intensity when Phaethon passed by the Sun, matching precisely what was expected if it were made of sodium.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New York, New York Barely Scratches the Surface of New York, New YorkIt doesn’t make it here.
Read more »
Mysterious Near-Earth Asteroid Phaethon Just Got Even WeirderNew observations of the rock show its comet-like tail is not made of dust, possibly altering the origin story of the Geminid meteor shower.
Read more »
Review: ‘New York, New York’ Needs to Make a Brand New Start of ItThe final Broadway musical to open before the Tony Award nominations cutoff has the resounding New York anthem going for it. Beyond that, it’s a bit of a Manhattan mess.
Read more »
New musical 'New York, New York' opens on BroadwayNew York City is celebrated in a new musical that opened on Broadway on Wednesday night.
Read more »
Biden challenger slams DNC for not holding primary debates: ‘Disappointed’ but ‘not surprised’2024 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson discusses the DNC's controversial decision to not hold any primary debates for the 2024 election race.
Read more »
Biden insists he will meet with McCarthy but not to talk about debt ceiling: 'Not negotiable'President Joe Biden said once again that he is willing to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy but not if that meeting is about whether or not the debt ceiling is extended.
Read more »