A European space probe has beamedback a haunting image ofan alien space rock with unique angles and surface coating that raisesmorequestions about asteroids than it answers.
The European Space Agency's Rosettaspacecraft recently flewby Lutetia, a huge asteroid midway along Rosetta's path to its ultimatedestination, the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which it is due to reach in2014.
Near-Earth objects are a topic ofgrowing interest toscientists. A two-day NASA workshop in Washington, D.C., this week istacklingtopics such as what to do about spacerocks that could threaten Earth, as well as how to transportastronauts to an asteroid for exploration ? a goal underPresident BarackObama's vision for the space agency.
Missions like Rosetta's could helpscientists learn moreabout space rocks and inform these and other goals.
"I've never seen anything like it,"said ClaudiaAlexander, project scientist for the U.S. Rosetta Project. "It lookedasthough it could have been fractured off of a mother asteroid ? it wasallangles and flat planes, ancient impacts overlaid by newer ones, coveredby dustof some kind."
One giant dent in the asteroid's sidewas particularlypuzzling. Alexander guessed that some other space rock had collidedwithLutetia long ago.
"If that is indeed what we're seeing,the questionbecomes: What could have caused the rolling?" Alexander said."Perhaps the asteroid spun up, spun down or experienced some orbitalirregularity. It's not clear right now that the asteroid is subject totheforces that could cause these things. This is another issue for furtherstudy."
"Right now we have more questionsthan answers,"Alexander said. "We can only speculate at this point about what we'reseeing in the pictures."
Scientists expect the data fromRosetta's visit to help themcalculate the asteroid's mass and density, which could reveal moreabout itscreation and composition.
"When all the data are analyzed,Lutetia will be one ofthe best-known asteroids out there," said Rita Schulz, ESA projectscientist for the Rosetta Mission. "These spectacular images are justthebeginning."
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