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Adaptive Optics System Reveals New Astroidal Satellite
Pasadena - March 7, 2001 Yet another of the rare astroidal binaries has been spotted. Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Jean-Luc Margot found the newly discovered moon orbiting asteroid (87) Sylvia. Groups from the University of California, Berkeley; Towson University in Maryland; and the Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed the sighting. Sylvia and its moon join only six other known asteroids with companions. Five of the other moons were discovered within the last year. A survey of 500 asteroids led by William Merline of the Southwest Research Institute turned up only two with moons. "We looked at 28 asteroids," Dr. Brown stated, "and we found one [with a satellite]. This one was pretty easy to spot." A preliminary analysis shows that the moon is about 1/20th the size of Sylvia with orbits of approximately four days. More observations will allow the astronomers to calculate the orbit more exactly and from that derive the mass of the two-body system. An adaptive optics system on the Keck II telescope provided the extraordinary image that revealed the moon. Using adaptive optics, observers can correct for the turbulence in the atmosphere that causes stars to twinkle and reduces the crispness of telescope images. Mark Perew is editor of ScienceMasters, which delivers profiles of the people behind the science headlines. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
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