Sunburned Surface Reveals Asteroid Formation and Orbital Secrets

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https://eos.org/articles/sunburned-surface-reveals-asteroid-formation-and-orbital-secrets

Source: By Megan Sever, Eos/AGU. 

Excerpt: Newly analyzed high-resolution images from the Hayabusa2 landing on the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu revealed a reddish hue to surface materials. Scientists interpret that coloration to be a result of a brief orbital excursion close to the Sun. When combining this information with previously collected data from Ryugu, scientists can now paint a clearer picture of how and when the asteroid formed, how its orbit has changed over time, and what its surface looks like.... 

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