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Article: Impacts have shaped a mass of loose, floating junkyards in space. (Originated from Boston Globe)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- November 21, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Many smaller members of the sun's family _ the comets, asteroids, and even some moons _ are turning out to be very different from what astronomers thought as recently as a few months ago.
As a result of very recent observations, including the spectacular collision of a comet with Jupiter in July, there is growing evidence that at least some comets and asteroids are not the solid chunks of rock or ice they long seemed to be. Rather, they may be little more than loose heaps of celestial rubble, ranging from the size of a sand grain to the size of a building, and connected only by their very weak gravitational pull as they float through space.
With the findings, ...